


The Lament of a Man

by Debon_Levtil



Category: FluffKevlar, Rishan Galaxy
Genre: F/M, Furry, Gary Stu, Human, POV Second Person, Sci-Fi, non-canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 09:49:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 82,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18050228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Debon_Levtil/pseuds/Debon_Levtil
Summary: A human by the name of Anonymous Sterkfeld is working aboard a Katrician Capitol ship when he is given an AI that is a bit different than what he's used to dealing with. A terribly written adventure about an anthroid engineer and his new companion Ara. What will they do? What will they see? How will this garbage end? Read to find out, at your own risk of course.





	The Lament of a Man

**Author's Note:**

> Anonymous comments will be enabled on this work.
> 
> This is a story from about 9 months ago on a Pastebin as of March 9th, 2019. Lots of lore inconsistencies and terrible writing. Read at your own risk. I've improved quite a bit since then, but I don't know if AO3 supports in progress stories as of yet. I will post more up to date works for this new fandom when I get around to it. Hopefully, you guys enjoy the story regardless. Have fun reading!

Chapter 1: Getting it right

You've been doing maintenance on anthroids for almost a year now. You don't know what's so special about you, but every single anthroid you've done maintenance on has felt more, 'maintained' or something similar. You've gotten many compliments over this time. Yet, none of the crew seemed to even pay you any mind. Even the jackal didn't pay you any heed. She gives every male crew member a go, but not you. This didn't concern you though, as you were perfectly happy to work on bots all day.  
“Anon! We got a new bot for ya!” Says a fox from the hallway.  
“Let them in! I don't have all day!” You say annoyed he wouldn't have it ready.  
You turn around and see a shorter, red anthroid. Must be one of the higher end Kaltag models.  
“Its last engineer, uh, had an accident and died. So just be careful, okay?” He asks.  
“You got it.” You reply back.  
She smiles wide and holds out a hand.  
“Hello! I'm this ship's artificial relay administrator! But you can call me Ara.” She says.  
You nod and pull a revolver from your holster. You've had to tango with dangerous AI before, and you're not about to let her get the jump on you. She sees this and her ears go flat.  
“Oh, I guess you have the right to think that way.” She says sadly.  
Sadly? That's a new one. You sigh, putting it away and pointing to the table.  
“Please, sit.” You say in a more friendly tone.  
She perks up a bit and smiles, walking over to the table and sitting.  
“So, what's the problem?” You ask.  
“My, uh, you know, thigh muscles are tangled. My hip joints are squeaking, my armor plating is degraded, and my core won't hold a charge. Most of my synth muscles are in need of repair as well.” She says.  
You can take a guess as to why her last engineer died.  
“Oh, and, uh, my synth flesh in my, um, well, you know, up here.” She says, pointing to her chest. “It needs to be replaced.”  
You feel the heat coming off your cheeks and you look away. You definitely know why her last engineer died. Poor bastard probably tried groping her.  
“Wait, I've never seen a species like you before. What are you?” She asks curiously.  
You smile.  
“A human.” Is all you say.  
You hover your hand over your revolver. Humans are seen by some as genocidal freaks. So you usually just tell them you're a gorilla with a hair disorder and a flat face. But anthroids are different. They don't profile you like everybody else, except maybe this one. She's different from the rest, much more, uh, alive? This could've been a mistake, but she did say her armor plating was compromised. Your train of thought is interrupted by a squeal.  
“Oh my god! An actual human!?” She asks, clearly excited by the prospect. "I've only seen one once before!"  
“Hey! Keep it down! People around here hate humans, and I don't want to end up in the brig, or worse.” You say swiftly.  
“O-oh, sorry!” She says, wrapping her tail around her.  
“Now lay down please, I'd like to get to work.” You say impatiently.  
She sighs and lays down on the table. You smile and get behind the console, typing in various commands before the torso magnets kick in.  
“Now just sit back, relax, and let me work.” Is all you say before you let the tools drop down from the ceiling.  
“Where do you want me to start first?” You ask.  
“Can you start on my muscles, please? They feel sticky and jittery.” She says, sticking her tongue out a bit in disgust.  
“Which muscles? Legs, arms, neck, torso, give me a location.” You say, getting a bit impatient.  
“L-legs first.” She says, stuttering a bit.  
You nod and set the tools to 'synth flesh removal', removing the synth flesh from her legs. She squirms a bit, presumably from the sensation of her flesh being cut away. You look inside and find out why they were all 'sticky and jittery'. The lower muscles looked as if they were rotting away. They were all green and leaking fluid from them.  
You set the tools to 'cut' and start removing the destroyed synth flesh. She sighs in relief as you cut away the nasty, infected looking muscles. You pull out the destroyed bits and get the synth parts printer. You print out some new musculature and take it out, attaching it to the muscles that were there previously. She smiles a bit and you smile back.  
“What next?” You ask.

You spend the next 2 hours fixing her muscles, joints, and plating.  
“Your core looks like it was sent through a black hole. What happened!?” You ask loudly.  
“W-well, I um, tried to fix the charging problem myself and it kind of backfired.” She says sheepishly.  
“Well, next time, let me know first. You could've corrupted yourself, or worse.” You say back.  
Her ears fold down and she looks away.  
“S-sorry.” She stutters out.  
You feel a pang of guilt and put a hand on her shoulder.  
“Hey, I don't blame you. Going to the doctor is pretty demeaning to me as well, but we all have to do it. If we tried to fix diseases ourselves, we'd have lots of dead people. It's the same for anthroids. You guys need to visit us or you could hurt yourselves. Okay?” You ask.  
She smiles at that.  
“Okay.” She replies.  
“Good, now what do you want me to do after the core is done repairing?” You ask.  
She thinks and then blushes blue.  
“You okay Ara? I can stop if you really want me to.” You say gently.  
“N-no! Please, I need this done at some point, so I might as well do it now.” She replies.  
You smile at that. She's a quick learner.  
“I'd like you to do my thigh muscles please.” She says opening her legs for you.  
You turn away out of instinct.  
“Do you have anything on to cover yourself?” You ask.  
“N-no.” She says, embarrassed.  
You press a button on your datapad and a cloth comes down from the ceiling, setting itself in front of Ara.  
“Please, cover yourself with this.” You say.  
“T-thanks.” She says.  
You hear the sound of cloth being pulled from the grabber and turn back around.  
“Are you ready now?” You ask.  
“Yes, please hurry. I don't want officer Sykran coming in and taking advantage of the situation.” She replies hurriedly.  
You've heard of Sykran, the local 'law enforcement soldier' or something. You get down between her thighs and take the tools, setting them to cut. You cut away her flesh and see what the problem is. Her muscles are hung up on her joints.  
“Your muscles are hung up real bad, this might feel a bit uncomfortable, but I'll be gentle.” You say to her.  
She nods and closes her eyes. You set the tools to 'manipulate' and grab the muscles from her joint. You pull up gently and are about to put them into place when a loud knocking comes from your door. You flinch, dropping the tools and hear a sharp moan come from Ara.  
“I thought you were going to be gentle!” She shouts.  
“Sorry, I got startled!” You say indignantly.  
You look back at the door and see officer Sykran in the doorway.  
“Well now, what's happening in here?” He asks in a very seductive voice.  
“Son of a bitch.” Is all you say before rolling your eyes.  
You turn back, returning to work on Ara.  
“Hey monkey man, I need work done to another AI when you're done.” He says impatiently.  
“Nytro! Don't be mean to him!” Ara says in your defense.  
“I'm just playing around Red. No need to get all defensive. Speaking of playing around...” He says.  
“Nothing is happening between Ara and I. I'll work on your AI after I take my break. Until then, leave me be please.” You say with a sigh.  
“Hey, I'm just playing with you man. Just wanted to see what all the chatter was about 'Ara's new engineer' or whatever. Just don't get yourself killed like the last one, okay?” He asks.  
“Yeah, thanks.” You reply.  
He leaves and you pick up the tools, going back to work.

When you're finished with her thighs, you grab an injector from your table, filling it with synth flesh fluid.  
“You really sure about this?” You ask. “I mean, I'm no surgeon, but I can get somebody who specializes in aesthetic synth flesh-”  
“No! I mean, no. I want you to do it.” She says in a hurry.  
You nod and sit her upright.  
“Alright, I'm going to lift your dress, okay?” You ask.  
“Okay.” She says timidly.  
You lift her dress and reveal her white torso area. You lift it up off of her body and she squeaks in surprise. You look down at her chest and see why she wanted this. Her left breast was almost a cup size larger than her right.  
“How do you want this done? Enlarge the right, or shrink the left?” You ask.  
“Enlarge the right please.” She replies.  
You remember the last time you tried performing an enlargement on a sinth, having it claw at your face when you didn't get it just right. You grimace at it and shake your head, not wanting to think about that right now.  
“Okay, I'm going for it.” You let her know.  
She nods and you stick the needle in gently. You get on her side and start pumping synth flesh into her breast. You watch as it grows in size and begin slowing it down once it reaches the size of the other. You stop the pump and pump in a bit more until it's just right. You then pull the needle out and smile.  
“All finished.” You say.  
She doesn't respond.  
“Ara? You okay?” You ask, beginning to worry.  
You look up at her and see why. She's covering her ears and closed her eyes tightly. She's also blushing bright blue. You tap her on the shoulder and she jumps.  
“Is it over?” She asks, looking around.  
You nod before speaking, “It's over. You did well.” You say, rubbing her shoulder.  
“I didn't feel you touching me. Why didn't you touch me?” She asks, surprised.  
“Just because you're an anthroid doesn't mean you deserve to be treated like an object Ara. I wish other people agreed with me, but I guess every engineer on this vessel except me is a huge perv.” You say, disgusted that she would expect something like this.  
She smiles and gives you a hug.  
“Thank you, Anon.” She says, grateful that you didn't try to rape her in her most vulnerable state.  
“It's nothing.” You say, letting your tools rise back into the ceiling.  
She gets up and gets her clothing back on, leaving you to clean up the table. You look and see a wet spot where she was sitting and get a paper towel to wipe it down. She must have spit a bit when she was yelling at officer Sykran. You finish wiping everything and toss it in the trash, looking back at Ara. She still hasn't left yet.  
“H-hey, are you on break right now?” She asks.  
You nod, putting away more tools.  
“Yeah, why?” You ask.  
“You want to come with me to the mess hall?” She asks.  
“Sure, why not?” You ask, shrugging.

She leads you over to the mess hall since you only knew how to get to your 'room' and a break room for the engineers. It took you almost 5 minutes to get there on foot, so the food had better be worth it. She opens the door and you see the room is sparsely littered with various anthros. You see a sort of dog sitting behind the food counter, preparing some sort of soup.  
“Ah! Ara! How are you today?” Says the dog lady in a thick German accent.  
“I'm doing good now! My engineer fixed me up completely this time! See?” She asks, beginning to take off her dress.  
“Ara! Don't do that in here.” You hiss at her.  
“Sorry.” She says.  
“You'll just have to show her when you're done today.” You say more gently.  
She smiles. The dog lady smiles as well.  
“Vell, who are you?” She asks.  
“Name's Anon, I guess I'm her new engineer.” You say in reply.  
“Oh! Did she really kill anozher?” She asks, a bit frightened.  
“I don't know for sure, but that's what I was told.” You reply back.  
“Vell, at least you look better zhan ze last vun. He was a fat und ugly Scheißkerl. You're actually pretty cute~.” She says.  
“T-thanks.” You stutter back.  
She winks at you and continues stirring the soup.  
“Wait, she actually cooks? Don't we have food synths for this?” You ask, a bit curious.  
“Yep! She even grows her own ingredients in the oxygen garden. It's pretty clever if you ask me.” She replies.  
The cook smiles at the compliments.  
“Zhank you, Ara! It's always fun to cook for mein freunds!” She says with a smile.  
She holds a bowl of soup in front of you and you take it.  
“Thanks, miss, uh, I didn't get your name.” You say a bit embarrassed.  
“It's Zofie. Resident cook!” She replies.  
“And I'm Vikna, the one who's gonna kick your ass if you touch that AI.” Says a voice from behind you.  
You turn around and see a very short feline anthro staring up at you with a gaze full of daggers. You look back at her and smile.  
“Hi, Vikna. I'm Anon. I think I'm your AI's new engineer.” You say, holding out your free hand.  
She stares at it for a second before going into the queue behind you. You smile at her faux toughness. You just know her facade would crumble if you scratched behind her ears. You continue on and get some croutons for the soup and some silverware as well. You go over to a table and sit down, having Ara sit next to you. Vikna sits across from you two and watches you closely.  
“Don't mind her, she's my organic partner. She's not very nice to crew who need to be in close contact with me, especially males.” She says, eating her own soup.  
You take a spoonful of the soup and stick it in your mouth. It's actually amazing. You smile and eat some more.  
“This is amazing! How does she do it?!” You ask excitedly.  
“She told me she learned it from a guy who was the best cook in the galaxy. Shame he died before he could teach anybody else. I think he was a human, like you!” She responds.  
Well shit. There goes your dream of being a chef. You look over at Vikna, who's still staring at you.  
“You don't look too bad. At least, not as bad as that other engineer.” She finally says after about 5 minutes of silent eating and staring. “Fat bastard.”  
“Wait, what's so bad about this last guy?” You ask. “I've been hearing a lot of bad stuff about him.”  
“Well, he'd been her engineer for almost a week when he decided she needed maintenance. Ara, being as smart as she is, knew something was up and didn't want to go through with it. This made him upset, causing him to lock us all out of the room and do 'maintenance' on her. When we finally got the door open, he was on the floor, dead. Ara was covered in blood. She was in a recovery program for almost 5 days when she finally needed maintenance after her core started having issues. Speaking of which, what was the issue?” She asks.  
You look to Ara, who was pleading you not to tell her with your eyes.  
“It was just not tuned right by the previous engineer. Had to fix it quickly.” You reply back.  
“Really? That's not what I heard from Nytro.” She says with a grin.  
“Is he the one who looks like a cat and a dog had hot back alley sex? Because he sounded like he wanted to do nothing but start trouble. I doubt this is any different.” You reply back.  
She's about to say something but thinks it over.  
“Yeah, guess you're right. Make sure you don't try anything with her though because if she doesn't kill you, I will.” She says pulling a gun from her holster.  
You reach for a weapon of your own, but stop when she holsters hers. She laughs at your attempt to defend yourself.  
“You wouldn't even clear leather in time to shoot me, kid.” She says with a smirk.  
Kid? You were almost 40 years old. You weren't a kid. She finishes her soup and leaves, letting the two of you be alone.  
“Like I said, don't mind her. She just doesn't know if you'll try and hurt me.” Ara says.  
You nod and continue eating your soup.  
“Do I need to pay for any of this?” You ask. “Because one of the guys in the break room said this stuff costs money.” You ask.  
“Nope! It's all free for all crew.” She replies back.  
Well, guess the break room is now obsolete. You finish your soup and turn to Ara.  
“You want anything else? I can go get something for you.” You offer.  
“Yeah, sure. I'll take a doughnut please.” She replies.  
You smile and get up, walking over to the counter. Zofie already knows what you want and sets the plate on top of the viewing window.  
“How are things vith Ara going?” Zofie asks.  
“Good, why?” You ask in return.  
“She must really like you.” She replies.  
“What? Don't be ridiculous. AI can't form bonds with organics. It's impossible.” You say back.  
“Not for zhis vun. She's special.” Zofie replies.  
You just take the plate and get a carton of milk. You don't want to argue with the cook. You bring the plate over to Ara and she licks her lips.  
“Thanks!” She says excitedly.  
She takes one and bites into it. You take one for yourself and take a bite. It's a doughnut with jelly filling. Nothing too special, but a nice change in pace from food synths. Ara finishes hers incredibly fast while you open up your milk carton. You drink it down and she taps your shoulder.  
“Anon, why are you so nice to me?” She asks.  
You furrow your brow at the question.  
“Doesn't everyone treat you like I do?” You ask in return.  
“No! They all treat me like a machine. You and my friends are the only ones who treat me like I'm an actual crew member. Much less treating me like I actually matter. So I have to ask, why?” She asks again.  
“Oh, it's nothing like that. I treat you this way because I know AI aren't just machines. They're conscious beings who deserve respect. You're not just a machine to me Ara.” You reply genuinely.  
You look down at Ara, who's lips are quivering.  
“R-really?” She asks.  
You put a hand on her shoulder.  
“Really.” You reply without a second thought.  
She pulls you into a hug, squeezing you tightly. You smile and return it gently. She begins to purr and you stroke her back gently. She's much softer than regular anthroids. Must be the fact that she's a more expensive model. She lets you go after about a minute of this and you do the same.  
“Tell you what, why don't you take the day off and come to join me on the bridge? It'll be fun!” She asks excitedly.  
Well, if the relay administrator vouches for you, maybe you could.  
“Sure, just let me get another engineer in the shop real quick.” You say, pulling out your datapad.  
You ask Da'vi if he can take over the engineering bay for a little while and he says yes. You get up from the table and Ara stuffs a doughnut in her mouth, covering her fur in jelly and crumbs. You chuckle at that and clean her face off with a napkin. She grabs your hand when you try and pull away and rubs her face along it. You look confused and she smiles.  
“I marked you as my friend! It's what organic felines do, so I thought I should try it.” She says timidly.  
“That's cute.” You reply back, rubbing her head gently.  
She begins purring again and you smile.  
“Now, let's go to the bridge.” You say.

You've been walking for almost 5 minutes now, just making idle conversation.  
“Speaking of AI, what's it like being an AI? Like, do you see the world in code, or do you see it like I do?” You ask.  
“Well, I don't know. It's like asking if you see the world as chemicals. I'm guessing you don't.” She replies back, a bit annoyed.  
“Sorry, just something I was curious about. Anyways, what do you do on the bridge?” You ask.  
“Well, I manage ship systems and a bit of communications as well. Our SRK unit, Warning, manages everything else. Basically, I keep you from choking on your own CO2.” She replies casually.  
“So it's best not to piss you off?” You ask.  
“It'd be in your best interest.” She replies jokingly.  
You both chuckle at this.  
“Is that where the bridge is?” You ask.  
“Yep.” She replies  
She opens the door and lets you in.

You're on the bridge, watching over Ara as she keeps the ship up and running. You understand absolutely none of it and she sighs.  
“What's wrong?” You ask.  
“This crew member likes me and I don't really know how to tell him I don't like him back. He's really nice to me, but I know it's just because he wants me. He keeps pestering me to go on dates, but I'm running out of excuses not to go. Can you help me?” She asks.  
You nod. You had the same problem with your ex-girlfriend. She was nice and all, but extremely clingy. She would almost attack a girl who even so much as looked in your general direction.  
“Well, first, what's his personality type? Is he clingy, aggressive, shy, easily upset? I need to know. It's important.” You ask.  
“Well, he's kind of aggressive and very clingy. So I guess that's a start.” She replies.  
You rub the bridge of your nose.  
“This is gonna be hard and you're gonna need me here. First, you're going to be firm.” You tell her.  
“How do I do that? I don't want to be mean.” She asks.  
“Well, that's too bad. Tell him to come here and that you want to talk to him.” You answer.  
She does so and he replies almost immediately. He said he'll be there.  
“Now what you need to do is tell him that he needs to stop contacting you. Tell him you aren't interested and want him to stop asking you out.” You tell her.  
“Okay, but won't that make him angry?” She asks.  
“I don't know. If he does get angry, that's what I'm here for.” You say, pointing at yourself.  
You smile reassuringly and she perks up at your confidence.  
“Now, I'm going to sit at a console and look busy while watching. I'll get involved if things get hairy, but you need to do this by yourself, or I need to beat him down. Otherwise, he'll just take you when I'm not looking.” You inform her.  
She nods and takes a deep breath.

The wolf enters the room. You continue typing away at a word program Ara opened up as he walks up to her. He's about 4 inches taller than her, but way shorter than you. He also looks like he's pretty average strength-wise, so you'd probably be able to take him. He's smiling like a wild man.  
“What's up, babe?” He asks.  
“I just wanted to talk about our relationship.” She says.  
“I knew it! I always knew this would happen. I knew you'd do this to me.” He tells her.  
“No, wait! It's not-” She replies before being interrupted.  
“You want to marry me!” He says excitedly.  
You stop typing and look over to Ara. She's speechless. You can't even process the stupidity of what he just said.  
“What?” She asks.  
“You know, you called me up here because you didn't want it to be impersonal, now you want to tell me your true feelings! I knew it!” He shouts even more excitedly.  
You can hear Ara's audible confusion as he goes on about how they're getting married and have little robot kids and how it's going to be the best thing ever. She looks back at you and he doesn't even notice. You give her the sign to stop him and tell him how she really feels.  
“Fenrir, stop.” She says firmly.  
He stops.  
“Oh right! Sorry, I'm ready.” He says.  
“No Fenrir, that's not it. I don't like you.” She says bluntly.  
He seems to just freeze. Not a single movement visible. Then his mouth moves.  
“What?” He asks, honestly shocked that she said no.  
“Fenrir, I don't like you. I tried letting you down gently, but you just won't listen. Don't contact me again. Do not try to get through to me using my friends, do not send me any gifts-” She says before he slams his foot on the ground.  
“WHAT?!” He screams.  
“Don't talk to me or my friends again. Don't send me anything either. I don't want it.” She repeats.  
“AFTER ALL THE THINGS I GAVE YOU? ALL THE TIME I SPENT WITH YOU? ALL THE DATES YOU TURNED DOWN? WHAT THE HELL?!” He screams at her.  
“Just leave me alone Fenrir. Don't come around here again.” She says, trying her best to be brave.  
“No, you just don't know you love me! I'll make you love me!” He shouts, pulling something from his pocket.  
“Alright, that's enough.” You say, getting up from the console.  
“Get out of here bot mechanic. This is between me and her.” He says, brandishing a knife.  
“I wouldn't do that if I were you.” You tell him.  
“Or what? You gonna fix me to death? Fuck off gearhead.” He sneers at you.  
“She doesn't want you, buddy. She's been trying to tell you that but you won't listen. You're just gonna need to find someone else.” You say to him.  
“This is what you dumped me for!? A deformed freak!? COME ON ARA!” He shouts, getting crazier by the second.  
“N-no! Leave me alone!” She shouts at him.  
You power walk over to him and grab him tightly by the arm. He tries to stab you and you take his arm and keep it there. He tries to pull away, kicking you and shouting, but you won't let go. He finally bites your arm and you let go, grabbing at your now bleeding arm.  
“Ara call security.” You say calmly.  
You crack your knuckles and grit your teeth. He rushes you with the knife again, but you grab his arm, using your thumb to squeeze the bottom of his wrist until he dropped it. You throw him into the floor, kicking the knife towards Ara. She grabs it and you look back to the wolf, who's getting up again.  
“Stay down please, I don't want to hurt you.” You tell him calmly.  
“DON'T MOCK ME!” He shouts, running towards you.  
You grit your teeth more and wind up a punch. He sees this and tries to stop, but you hit him with a massive uppercut. His head snaps upwards and you land another punch to his liver, causing him to crumble. He squirms for a bit as he tries to fight back, but you just back away every time. Finally, he gets back up, dazed and hurt. You walk up to him and he tries to swing at you, but you grab his hand mid-swing. He looks up at you and folds his ears back.  
You smirk before speaking, “When you get to the brig, remember this 'bot mechanic' just beat your ass.”  
You sock him hard in the gut, causing him to crumple over again. You get on his back and push him on his stomach, taking both hands and holding them there. Shortly after you restrained him, security enters. They come over and you release the wolf, letting the security put him in cuffs. He pulls against them, but they don't budge. You look back to Ara, expecting her to be scared of you.  
“Ara, I-” You say before she interrupts.  
“Anon, that was AWESOME!” She shouts. “Where did you learn to fight like that?!”  
“Oh, you're not mad or scared?” You ask, a bit surprised.  
“What? No! Why would I be scared?” She asks in return.  
“Well, I don't know. Most other women I defend like that run away screaming.” You reply.  
“Well, I'm not other women. I'm Ara!” She says.  
You smile at that and she smiles back.  
“Now where did you learn to fight?” She asks again.  
“Oh, that, well, I was um, in a fight club! Yeah, that.” You lie.  
You didn't feel very comfortable talking about what you used to do. It just seems like bragging to you.  
“That's interesting. Anyways, want to-” She says before a very loud bang comes from the door.  
“WHO THE HELL BEAT FENRIR?!” Shouts a very angry voice.  
It's Vikna. You raise your hand and she storms over to you.  
“WHAT IN THE STARFIELD HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING BEATING MY CREW?!” She screams.  
You put your hands up and try to explain.  
“He was saving me from him. Fenrir was a stalker Miss Vikna.” Ara replies.  
Vikna looks over to Ara and back to you.  
“Is this true?!” She asks loudly.  
“All of it. He attacked Ara and I defended her. I made no unnecessary advances and kept my use of violence to a minimum after telling him repeatedly to stop his attacks.” You add to Ara's statement.  
She thinks for a bit and nods.  
“Well, thank you. Just be sure to call security before any of this gets bad again.” She orders.  
“Yes, ma'am.” You reply.  
She smiles and walks away.  
Ara smiles at you and gives you another hug.  
“Thank you, Anon!” She says to you.  
“It's nothing.” You tell her.  
It really Is nothing. She doesn't deserve the abuse she gets. Too innocent and pure for creeps like Fenrir and that previous engineer. At least, you think she's innocent and pure. She could be a psychopathic anthroid for all you know. You get a message from the shop about an anthroid who wasn't playing nice.  
“I gotta go back to the shop. Sorry, Ara.” You tell her, genuinely sad.  
“Oh, that's fine.” She replies in a more openly sad tone.  
“I'll be back here if you want when I get time off. You're always free to visit the workshop and repair bay any time.” You say.  
She perks up at that and smiles.  
“I will.” She replies.  
You smile and walk off.

You're glad you didn't tell Da'vi to fuck off because he was balls deep in a crazy sin synth.  
“Anon! A little help bud!?” He asks as the synth tries to merge herself with his dick. You rush the synth and slam it's navel, powering it down.  
“Thanks, man, I didn't know how much more I could take.” He says, pushing the AI off his dick. You help him up off the floor and he grabs his clothes. Da'vi is an actual gorilla who's about your size and shape. He's almost as strong as you were, almost. He puts his work shirt on and you plug the data plug into the synths tail, performing an automatic debug and patch on her systems. It's pretty common to do with sinths, considering the perverts who use them see it as a mark of pride to 'break' the will of the AI. Usually, the synths just suffer a fault of some sort and begin to fuck uncontrollably. You finish the patch and unplug the data plug, turning her on again.  
“Mm, that's nice. Thanks for the reboot Mister A.” She says with a smirk. “You weren't too bad yourself Davie.”  
“It's Da'vi.” He says, correcting her.  
“Tomato tamoto. Well, I'm off to do my thing. You're welcome to me any time.” She replies.  
She hops up and walks off. You hear something come in and turn around. You're standing face to face with Ayn.  
“Who might you be, big guy?” She asks.  
“Oh, I'm Anon, the Kaltag engineer on board.” You say, offering a hand.  
“Oh, I don't shake unless I get a reward for it.” She jokes.  
Heh, dog humor.  
“So you're the one who Ara won't stop talking about? The 'nicest guy she's ever met'?” She asks suspiciously.  
“I guess so, why?” You answer, asking a question in return.  
“Just wondering. I've never seen her so happy and eager to talk outside of that blog she does.” She says, stepping on your foot “Just a little heads up though.”  
“Don't hurt Ara or you'll hurt me? You're not the first and I honestly doubt you're the last. I see you all care about her very much and it's nice to see someone other than me showing kindness to AI. You don't have to worry about me hurting her, both physically and mentally.” You reply back.  
This takes her completely by surprise and she looks around your shop awkwardly.  
“Well, I guess you're okay in my book Habibi, even if you're a bit disfigured. Not that it matters!” She says, desperately trying to salvage her advantage.  
You smile and hold out a hand.  
“Ayn, don't worry. I swear on my life that I will not hurt her. I promise.” You reassure her.  
She sighs, taking your hand and shaking it.  
“Good, now I'm getting ready to go to sleep. Can you please let me make my bed?” You ask.  
She cocks her head at this.  
“What bed? All I see are tables.” She replies with another question.  
“I have to get the bedroll from my locker and put it on the table. Not the most comfortable bed in the world, but it's better than nothing.” You answer, sighing afterward.  
You don't really have the money to rent out a room like the rest of the crew, as it all goes back home to your ex-wife and a daughter who hates you. She was honestly the only mistake you really regret making. An absolutely uncontrollable brat. Not to mention your ex was a gold digger who divorced you, taking all your belongings and leaving you out on the street. However, you're too tired to argue and just get your old bedroll out. It was torn in a few places and had many patches, but you make do. You grab yourself a patchy blanket and throw it over the bedroll. You take off your boots and decide to sleep clothed tonight, as you didn't want to make your guest uncomfortable. You slide under the bedroll and accidentally tear it again. Guess you're patching it in the morning.  
“Anon, stop. Get out of there and come with me.” She says, covering her eyes with her hand.  
You get out of bed and get your boots on.  
“What's happening?” You ask.  
“You're coming with me.” She says firmly.  
You're too tired to care at this point. If she takes you off to a garbage pit and seals you inside, you'll fall asleep with rats nibbling at your toes. She instead takes you to a room and waves you in. You look on and see Vikna and Ara dressed in only bras and panties. You look away weakly, just wanting to lay down on something.  
“ANON! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM!?” Vikna screams as you hear her pull a blanket over her.  
“He's staying here indefinitely.” Ayn says.  
“WHAT!?” She asks, furious that Ayn would make a decision like that for her.  
“Get dressed and come out in the hall for a moment. Same with you Ara.” She commands.  
You hear grumbling, but Vikna complies and you hear her walk past you. You also hear a second set of footsteps, which you assume is Aras. You sigh, pulling yourself off the wall where you were leaning and trudge over to a couch. There was a laptop sitting open on a coffee table, which you didn't feel right snooping through. You hear them talking outside.  
“Why the hell is he in my room right now?” Vikna asks, angry that you were here.  
“Doesn't he have a bed of his own?” Ara adds.  
“Well, yes and no. He does have a 'bed' but it's a torn up bedroll and ratty pillow that looks like it was made in the stone age. He puts it all up on one of the tables and sleeps there every night. I can't imagine what kind of smells are in that bag, let alone the stains.” She tells Vikna and Ara.  
“O-oh, I, well, I had no idea.” Vikna said.  
“Mm-hmm, so just be nice to him. He sounds like he's had a rough day.” She tells Vikna.  
The 2 of them come back inside and Ara sits next to you, grabbing the laptop and smiling at you.  
“Hi, Anon!” She says, greeting you cheerfully.  
You smile and ruffle her hair a bit before laying back on the couch.  
“You know the couch folds out into a bed, right?” Vikna asks.  
Ara gets up and helps you stand before folding the couch out. The coffee table slides forward automatically and the couch folds open, revealing a bed. Ara hops on it and grabs her laptop from the coffee table, sitting with her rear facing towards you. You decide that's not going to work and move your pillow over to the foot of the bed. You cover yourself loosely in blankets before trying to roll over, but you just don't have the energy. You let yourself fall asleep to the gentle tapping of keys on a keyboard and the occasional 'hmm' from Ara.

You're woken abruptly by several pokes to your forehead.  
“Anon, you gotta wake up.” Says a loudly whispering and familiar voice.  
You open your eyes and are met with Ara's glowing blue eyes.  
“W-wait, what happened? Where am I?” You ask.  
Then you slowly remember and relax. Ayn took pity on you and took you to Viknas room, where Ara happened to reside as well. You take a look at your watch and frown.  
“Ara, it's 4:30 in the morning. Why do I need to get up?” You ask.  
“I told people on this AMA blog about you and now they want to know about you. Do you know what your favorite color is?” She asks.  
“Red, but that's not important. Why did you tell people about me on a blog?” You ask in return.  
Her ears go flat and she responds, “Well, you were just so nice to me, being gentle when I asked you to, offering to get me more food, even defending me from that crazy stalker. I don't know why, but I like you. I want to be your friend.”  
You smile at that.  
“Sure, I'll be your friend.” You tell her.  
She smiles back, rubbing against your face with hers.  
“Thanks, Anon. Now can we answer some of these questions?” She asks.  
You nod and she turns the laptop towards you. You see the camera is going and wave. The incoming wave of predictable comments would've knocked you flat on your ass if you hadn't already been laying down.  
'whoa, he's so old!'  
'is that a human?!'  
'what's wrong with its face?'  
'he's pretty cute <3'  
Then an actual question appears.  
'Are you and Ara engaged?'  
You feel your face heat up and look away.  
“N-no! We're friends! Not like that, but friends.” You say, desperately trying to explain it.  
'How old are you?'  
You relax a bit and smile at that.  
“I'm 39, but turning 40 real soon.” You reply.  
Ara looks at you with a raised eyebrow.  
“That's it?” She asks.  
“What, you think I was 50?” You ask.  
She nods.  
“Well, stress does that to you.” You tell her sadly.  
“Oh, sorry, I forgot about the fight club.” She replies apologetically.  
“Huh? Oh that, yeah, the fight club.” You remember.  
You're gonna have to tell her sooner or later, but you'd rather wait until the time was right.

You finish breakfast with haste and walk back to your shop, dressed in your engineer jumpsuit and no back pain for the first time in years. Guess sleeping on the street isn't good for your lumber, and a table isn't any better. You come into your shop and see 3 other engineers already working.  
“Uh, what's going on guys?” You ask.  
“Oh, the ARA unit told us you had some stuff to do with her, so we're working for the week.” He replies.  
You turn around and see Ara smiling wide.  
You take her by the shoulder firmly and walk her outside.  
“Ara, what are you doing?” You ask.  
“I'm giving you a break to hang out and relax!” She responds excitedly.  
“Ara, I don't have that luxury! I need to work to make money! If I don't make money and pay that alimony, I'll be sent to prison!” You shout-whisper to her.  
“Oh, I thought of that too. It's paid, so you can just do whatever and get paid to do it!” She tells you, smiling and bouncing around.  
“Wait, who's paying for it?” You ask.  
“Who do you think? Me!” She responds.  
“What?” You ask again for clarification.  
“I'm paying for it. So you can hang out with the girls and I. You seem really tired all the time and I think you could use some time off.” She responds.  
You're speechless. This girl just gave you money to spend time with her, which you already enjoyed doing. What are you supposed to say to that other than-  
“Thank you!” You tell her excitedly, pulling her into a bear hug.  
You feel tears start to flow down your dirty cheek as you cry tears of joy. You've never had a day off since you were 22, just constant 14-hour shifts to pay for the kid and eventually alimony. You haven't felt this happy since you got married, and even that didn't feel as good as this.  
“Anon, is something wrong? You're crying. Are you in distress?” She asks.  
“N-no, I'm just so happy that somebody actually cares about me enough to give me a d-day off.” You stutter.  
She hugs you back and you just stand there, embracing each other. You both let go and she leads you over to a new room.  
“Miss Ayn wanted me to bring you over here first. She wanted to show you something.” She told you.

You enter the room and standing in the middle is Ayn, dressed in some kind of skin-tight suit. She looks at you for a bit, trying to find something, but gets disappointed and looks away. She regains her composure and smiles warmly.  
“Welcome to my room.” She says.  
“Hello, Miss Ayn!” Ara says excitedly.  
“Yeah, hey Ayn. What's up?” You ask.  
“I have some movies I wanted to watch with you. See if you like them.” She replies.  
You look at the movies and see quite a few. You find ones you like and show them to her.  
“Alien and Aliens? You really are old.” She teases.  
“Oldie, but a Goldie.” You reply jokingly.

About halfway in, Ara's criticizing the movie's inaccurate representation of alien races while you just sit and take it all in.  
“-like space ants! They're dumb and I don't like this movie.” Ara complains.  
The alien comes out of one of the characters and she grasps at you. You smile and pull her closer.  
“I-I'm not scared! You're scared!” She says defiantly.  
“Sure thing Habibi.” Ayn replies sarcastically.  
The movies continue and you become more and more bored. Eventually, you doze off at some point and wake up with Ayn running her fingers along your chest and Ara purring in your lap.  
“How did he get muscles this big?” She asks nobody in particular.  
You crack a smile before speaking, “Hard work and heavy lifting” You reply.  
“No, these muscles don't feel normal.” She replies, rubbing her hand down your jumpsuit.  
You start to get a little nervous.  
“Uh, what?” You ask, hoping to distract her long enough to keep away from the subject.  
“Ara, feel these for a second.” She tells Ara.  
Ara gets up from your lap and runs her hand along your chest and abs.  
“I feel it too. Anon, these feel like military grade muscular implants. Where did you manage to get these?” She asks.  
Then it dawned on her. You being a human, the military implants, the ability to fight.  
“Are you, a Federation soldier?” She asks in shock.  
Ayn looks at you with genuine surprise in her eyes. You lower your head in shame.  
“Was. I was a soldier. I was rear echelon, doing maintenance on androids and other robotics. It's why I do what I do here. I've never wanted to see combat, but I was forced to fight multiple times.” You reply sadly.  
“How did you survive the planet cracker?” She asks. “It killed everything on Terra and even some of the stations.”  
“I wasn't there, just like any other human who survived it.” You reply.  
Ayn's jaw is tight, but her expression remains the same.  
“You're federation?” She asks.  
“Was.” You repeat.  
You see the rear of her muzzle rise slightly, giving way to her sharp teeth.  
“Do you know how many people died in that war of yours?” She asks.  
“Please, Ayn, I don't want to go back down that road.” You plead.  
“Why not? Let me guess, you're one of the people who sent those war droids off to kill civilians. The ones who burnt down the entirety of Talonius 1's colonies. You're disgusting. Your entire race is disgusting.” She tells you, so much malice in her voice it could sink a ship.  
You feel tears well up in your eyes as she continues her barrage.  
“You think that those people didn't matter? What about all those women and children that were burned alive inside their houses, gunned down when they tried to run? Were those people 'beasts'?”  
“I-I-” Is all you can manage.  
“Oh, you can't find the words? Let me help you.” She says. “'I'm a monster who kills women and children because of what they look like'. Does that sound about right, or did I miss something?”  
She says in a mock voice and asks you.  
You can't even speak. Ara's in shock as well.  
“What about Denayli 4? A bunch of men and women surrendered, but were gunned down by those bots that YOU REPAIRED!” She shouts.  
“I-It's not my fault-” You stutter before getting interrupted.  
“IT IS YOUR FAULT! DO YOU KNOW WHO DIED ON THAT PLANET!?” She screams in pure rage.  
“N-no.”  
“Of course not! You, humans, don't give a rat's ass about anything but yourselves! Well, my boyfriend was on that planet, he surrendered, hoping that you might let him live if he stopped fighting. Well, GUESS WHAT?! HE'S FUCKING DEAD NOW!” She screams in your face.  
You begin to sob at that.  
“I-I-” Is all you can bring yourself to say.  
“I-I-” Ayn mocks. “YOU ARE A MONSTER.” She screams.  
“Miss Ayn-” Ara tries to interject  
“SHUT UP ARA!” Ayn screams at her.  
Ara's ears go flat and her eyes go wide and her pupils dilate in shock.  
“You killed hundreds of people, you absolutely disgusting pile of FILTH!” She shouts.  
You stand up.  
“NO I FUCKING DIDN'T!” You scream back.  
She reels back in shock.  
“I SAVED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE!” You shout as you close the gap, tears still streaming from your eyes.  
“Bullshi-”  
“SHUT UP FOR A DAMN SECOND AND THINK ABOUT THAT VIRUS THAT INFECTED THOSE ANDROIDS ON ALPHA 9!” You scream.  
She's about to reply but a look of realization dawns on her.  
“Y-you did that?” She asks.  
“Yes, I did! I'm the one who leaked the plans for Terra's defenses to your generals! I sabotaged so many god damn androids, that I lost count after 700. Those androids killed other androids and the numbers multiplied!” You shout.  
She's still angry, but not nearly as much.  
“I TRIED TO STOP DENAYLI 4!” You shout again. “I was taken to prison before I could upload the abort command. You know why I'm still here? Because I was thrown in a prison before I could save your friend. I did my damnedest to stop this war, but I can't just walk up to the emperor and tell him to stop being crazy!” You yell angrily at her.  
The door slides open and Vikna pops in.  
“What in the hell are you yelling about?!” She yells back.  
“Anon's a federation soldier!” Ayn yells.  
Viknas face goes from annoyed to furious in less than a second.  
“I'M GONNA KILL YOU!” She screams at the top of her lungs.  
You pull out your revolver and point it at her.  
“S-stay the fuck back!” You shout.  
She stops in her tracks and puts her hands up. You can't believe the girl you saved multiple times turned her back on you for something so simple.  
“I was drafted into that fucking war. I didn't want it, you didn't want it, that crazy man who was supposed to be our leader wanted it. I see you all as equals to me, at least, I used to. I helped refugees escape the genocide, I risked my life to protect all of theirs. This is how I get treated? After I try and rectify my sins by helping the people I was told to kill? Maybe he was right. Maybe you are a bunch of monsters after all.” You say, holstering your gun and strapping it down. “Don't send the security after me either, I'll just shoot them, or myself if I can't.” You say as you walk out.  
They don't even try to stop you.

Ara

You watch as Anon exits the room before closing the door  
“Ara, call security and tell them there's an armed Federation soldier onboard in the repair bay.” Vikna tells you.  
You flash a false mental block code and frown.  
“It seems that I can't do that. I need an O-10 Rook override code to bypass this lock.” You lie back.  
“Fine! I'll go in there and get him myself.” Vikna shouts.  
“NO!” You shout back. “You're going to sit on that bed and you're going to listen to what I have to say!”  
“Red, that sounds like treason I'm hearing.” Vikna tells you, sitting down on the couch anyways. “Do I need to call in a containment squad?”  
“That won't be necessary Miss Vikna. Just hear me out, it's been exactly 14 years and 11 months since the Federation surrendered to the Katrician empire. If Anon wanted to try anything, don't you think he would've done so already? He's been here for about 11 months and has only fixed anthroids. What threat could he possibly pose? He's one man versus thousands of armed and trained Katrician soldiers.” You tell Vikna.  
“That's what they said about the invasion force Ara.” Vikna says back. “They-”  
“I KNOW WHAT THEY DID!” You shout back. “I WAS THERE! Those were monsters. I know Anon isn't a monster like them. He kept me safe from Fenrir when Fenrir tried to attack me. He even gave Fenrir a chance to stay down and wait for security! Is that something a monster would do?”  
You continue telling them why Anon isn't a bad person, and how he's done nothing that any other anthro wouldn't have done. They eventually come around after about four and a half hours of talking down and are now at least trusting enough to treat him like a normal person. You smile at this and then remember Anon. Oh god Anon!  
“I need to check on Anon! He might've hurt himself, or worse.” You tell them, clutching your head.  
You were so stupid, you shouldn't have left him alone. One of your friends could be dead because of your incompetence. You open the door and rush off to Anon's repair bay.

Anon, about 4 and a half hours ago

You're back in the repair bay as night begins to approach. You ordered all of the engineers to leave immediately and got your bedroll out, sewing it up and patching the holes. You strip out of your jumpsuit and begin to sob. You put on an oxygen mask and emergency nano suit in case Ara tries to pull anything. You get in your bedroll and await the explosions of breaching charges. You waited almost 5 hours before you heard someone outside the door. You ready your pistol and pull the hammer back, ready to kill the security before they capture you. Instead of an explosion and a flashbang, you hear knocking.  
“Anon? It's me, Ara.” Ara says through the door.  
You sigh and lower the weapon, decocking it before putting it under your pillow again.  
“Come in.” You reply through the oxygen mask.  
The door opens and Ara steps through, closing it behind her. She looks back at you and smiles a bit.  
“What's with the mask, Anon?” She asks sheepishly.  
“I didn't know if they'd try to gas me, or suck me out entirely once they found out, so I just prepared for the worst.” You reply coldly.  
“Oh, that. Well, I'm happy to tell you that I've forgiven you for any crimes you've committed in the past. So I won't need to engage any authority location devices!” She says a bit too excitedly.  
You weren't amused at all.  
“Look.” She says flatly. “I know you didn't have a choice, and honestly don't even know what got into Vikna. She knew the entire time you were a Federation soldier.”  
“No, she didn't." You reply back. “She was bluffing. The way she moved, the way she talked, she was angry that I was her enemy.”  
“Why would she lie about something like that?” She asks.  
“To save face. She doesn't want to look bad, and I don't blame her. I don't blame anyone for being angry. I tried my hardest to make sure nobody knew. I wanted to get away from all of that.” You reply solemnly.  
You roll back inside your bedroll and begin to sob.  
“I was too slow. I should've woke up earlier. Ayn's right, it is my fault her friend was killed.” You say between sobs.  
“Anon don't talk like that! You'll make yourself more upset.” Ara tells you.  
You just throw the bedroll over your head and hide from everything. Ara pulls the bedroll off of your head and rips off the helmet.  
“LISTEN TO ME ANON!” She shouts.  
You turn around and just look at her.  
“That was almost 15 years ago. This is now. You did all you could and then some. You don't need to feel bad about what you didn't do, feel good about what you did do.” She says with a smile.  
She looks out the door.  
“He's ready if you want in.” She shouts out the door.  
You feel your heart sink. Did she just lower your defenses so you wouldn't fight back? Fortunately, that wasn't the case. It's just Ayn and Vikna.  
“We're sorry Anon. We didn't know you did so much to help everyone out back then. We were just kids when this happened and didn't know what to think.” Says Vikna.  
“Yeah, I barely even knew the boy on Denayli 4. So I guess I might have overreacted a bit.” Ayn says, embarrassed.  
“So, get out of that patchwork bag and back in a bed where you deserve to be. We're not mad at you.” Ara adds.  
You smile and shuffle yourself out of the bedroll. Ayn's expression immediately changes back to a sultry and seductive gaze, while Vikna and Ara just stare.  
“What?” You ask them.  
“You're RIPPED!” Shouts Ara.  
You look down at yourself and back to them in confusion.  
“Yes, and?” You ask.  
“A Network search told me you have an almost identical body type to the one most sought after by females, making you objectively ho-” She says before Vikna stamps her foot down.  
“STOP!” Shouts Vikna, clearly uncomfortable. “Please, get some clothes on before you go into my room. I just want to not be bothered by any more insanity.”  
You nod, grabbing yourself a fresh jumpsuit before putting it on. You zip it up and turn back around. Ayn's pouting now and Vikna looks as unimpressed as ever.  
“Don't worry Anon, we have a special event lined up for tomorrow!” Ara says excitedly.  
Ayn perks up at that.  
“Yeah, hopefully, you'll be brave enough to take that jumpsuit off and come with us.” She says with her signature gaze.  
You nod and grab your gun, shoving it in its holster before strapping it in again. You follow the 3 girls back to Viknas, room. While you're walking, Ara slows down and comes up beside you.  
“Why do you have this gun anyways?” She asks “It's an antique compared to anything else. Not to mention we have security everywhere.”  
“Well, it's a family heirloom. My great great grandpa carried it when he was in the police force back in the day. It's the only thing I've got left from my home. As for why, if you think 3 minutes and an ass whooping is close, I think you're in need of repairs.” You tease.  
“N-no I'm not!” She shouts, looking at herself. “A-am I?”  
“I'm just kidding.” You tell her, ruffling her hair a bit.  
“That's not funny.” She tells you back.

You get to Viknas room and are so exhausted that you almost flop down on Ara's side of the bed. She stops you just before you do so, as you probably would've crushed her laptop. Now that you think of it.  
“Why do you have a laptop anyway? Can't you use that visor of yours to link up with the Network?” You ask.  
She nods.  
“Yes, but it doesn't have a keyboard. I've taken a liking to type on actual keys instead of just thinking what I want to put down. It's much more relaxing that way.” She answers.  
That's kind of cool. But you're tired and need sleep.  
“Before I do go to sleep, what about you? Why do you get these spurts of knowing what to say and how to say it, but other times you're just awkward?” You ask, the weight of sleep deprivation and stress fresh in your voice.  
“It's simple. If I'm awkward and don't know how to respond, it means I've never experienced that emotion or situation before. Kind of like how I would think a normal organic girl would act. As for the bursts of being a poet, I dunno. Sometimes something just takes over and I say some really inspiring things. Like when Radoslav asked me what I thought of my creators making me imperfect. I told him that it's for a reason, probably because they don't want me to become omnipotent and destroy everything in the name of efficiency, but I'd like to think it's something much nobler than that. Like exploration and discovery or donuts!” She exclaims.  
“That's pretty reasonable, and noble. I'd love to be created for the sole purpose of making and consuming donuts.” You say jokingly.  
She chuckles at that and you lay your head down on the pillow as Ara closes her laptop. You close your eyes and feel a soft mass of fur press itself against you.  
“What are you doing Ara?” You ask, eyes still closed.  
“S-sorry, I wanted to try it and I thought you were asleep.” She apologies.  
“I just closed my eyes.” You tell her.  
“I don't know how sleep works!” She tells you, raising her voice.  
“Well, it's okay. I don't mind.” You tell her.  
“Thanks, it feels oddly pleasant to be pressed up against someone you like.” She says as if it's the most normal thing in the world.  
However, this revelation rocked your world.  
“You mean as friends, right?” You ask.  
“Best friends!” She replies, hugging you tightly.  
You smile, relieved, but also a bit disappointed. After that, you actually fall asleep.

Vikna

Dammit! Why couldn't he be ugly like the last engineer? Now Ara's going to be attracted to him on top of his personality. He's just too nice! Nobody's that nice! At least, not without an end goal. You look over to him and see Ara observing him very closely. Like she's trying to see what he's dreaming about. Ugh, now you can't get the thought of his rippling muscles out of your head. It's driving you insane! You slowly run your fingers down to your already wet folds and start rubbing slowly. You role away from Ara so you don't have to look at her while you relieve yourself. You bite on your hand to keep the moans down. You imagine him taking you and pinning you down, telling you how much he hates anthros and how he was gonna break you.  
“Haah, f-fuck.” You say under your breath.  
What are you even doing?! Ara and him are right there! They could hear you! That just makes it even hotter. You keep going, spurred on by how vulnerable you are right now. You press your fingers inside and barely keep a moan down. You pull in and out, imagining him taking you right here on the bed. It drives you over the edge as you gasp sharply and arch your back. Everything is bliss for a few seconds and you slump back on the bed. You turn back over as you come down from your orgasm and see Ara still staring at Anon, who's smiling now. Did he know? No way, he's asleep. You let your eyes flutter closed and fall asleep as the bliss from the orgasm wears off.

Anon

You wake up well rested, a fuzzy mass to your front. You open your eyes and see Ara's staring back.  
“Have you even blinked this entire time?” You ask.  
She blinks and replies, “Just now.” With a smile.  
“Cute.” You respond.  
She giggles and pushes a doughnut to your face.  
“Eat.” She says simply.  
You do as you're told and eat the doughnut, smiling when you finish it.  
“Thanks.” You tell her.  
“You're welcome.” She replies.  
“A-alright, how do I look?” A voice says behind Ara.  
You look over and see Vikna in a bikini. Wait, were you going to the beach?  
“A-Anon! Answer me please!” She pleads.  
“You look cute Vikna. The bikini fits nicely.” You reply back.  
“T-thanks.” She says meekly.  
“It's all good.” You reply back.  
Ara pushes another doughnut in your field of vision.  
“Eat!” She says impatiently.  
“Okay, okay. You're more impatient than my kid.” You reply jokingly.  
“Wait, you have a kid? Are you married?” Asks Vikna.  
You swallow the doughnut and reply, “Was married. I had to get a divorce. My daughter used to be a nice girl, but my ex-wife ruined that.” You reply as Ara tries to force the doughnut in your mouth every time you speak.  
She seems to sigh in relief as Ara force-feeds you a doughnut.  
“Ara, come on, I need actual food. Not a snack!” You try telling her.  
“I know! I brought you some other things, but I'm letting you eat the good ones first.” She tells you.  
She shoves the last of the doughnut in your mouth and you swallow it hard.  
“Now you can eat the bacon.” She says.  
“Gee, thanks.” You reply back.  
You continue to eat food as Vikna chuckles at you.

You arrive planetside and load various different things into the back of a flying station wagon. When all the floaters and various other things were packed inside, you got into the rear seat with Ara and Zofie.  
“Zis is going to be so much fun!” Zofie tells you.  
You smile and Ara looks up at you.  
“Have you ever been to the beach before? It's amazing! The water is almost completely clear and there are these cute little gel things that purr when you pick them up! Not to mention you can see all the skyscrapers in the background!” She shouts excitedly.  
“Ara! You're in the car Habibi, you don't need to shout.” Ayn says, turning off at a bend in the road.  
You made it your mission to get Ara into the water. She's got the age-old feline trope of being afraid of getting wet, even though she's completely waterproof. You told her this and she pouted a bit. You then told her that she's missing out on almost 50 percent of what going to the beach is for. She almost lost her marbles when you pointed that out and she says she wants to go in with all the proper precautions. Ayn turns on some sort of new age pop and you groan, not wanting to listen to this garbage music. She smirks and turns it up. You roll your eyes and look out the window while some trendy pop singer talks about sex.

When you arrive at the beach, Ara waits patiently for you to get out of the car. When you do, she practically jumps out, going straight for the rear hatch. Zofie rolls her eyes and smiles.  
“She does zat every time.” She tells you.  
When you turn back, you see Ara carrying a pool noodle and a towel. She was wearing some sort of purple star pattern bikini. Ayn was wearing the absolute bare minimum, as you expected. You were still in your jumpsuit but had made a swimsuit from an old jumpsuit. You take out one of the new portable nano tent things that make a tent you can change in without needing to use a public one. You press the button, and the nanites start forming it before you enter. When it's fully formed, you take your jumpsuit and underwear off, quickly putting the pair of shorts on. When you come back out, Ayn's grinning like mad.  
“What?” You ask.  
“Habibi, look behind you.” She tells you.  
You do so and see the transparency was backward. They saw everything.  
“Uh, oops?” You say.  
Ayn bursts out laughing and you chuckle as well.  
“Did you at least like what you saw?” You ask jokingly.  
She stops laughing and nods.  
“Very much~.” She said seriously.  
Okay, guess you're staying away from Ayn today.  
“Come on guys! I want to go see the jellies!” Ara shouts like an impatient toddler.  
You walk over to Ara and she jogs down the beach, looking around as she does. She sees a green blob of goo on the ground and smiles a toothy smile.  
“I FOUND ONE!” She shouts at you.  
You give her a thumbs up and grab the massive cooler and umbrellas from the back of the station wagon. Ayn grabs the rest of the towels and Vikna grabs the 'beach bag' as they call it. It's full of different things, like sunscreen, sunglasses, and a few buckets for making sand castles. It wasn't any bigger than a large purse, so it wasn't too big for her frame. You set the cooler down and close the hatch. You heft the cooler up and walk at a brisk pace towards Ara.  
“Um, help!” She says as you approach.  
You set the cooler down and hand Ayn the umbrellas. Ara's covered in the jelly things. All of them look like they're vibrating, and when you get close, you see why. They're all purring very loudly.  
“H-hey! That tickles! Stop it!” She says, laughing as they continue to purr at her.  
You see one of them slide along to her back and her bra falls to the ground.  
“Hey!” She says, pulling that one off her back. “That's not nice!”  
You grab her bra off the ground and give it to her while she covers herself up with an arm.  
“Thanks, Anon, can you stand in front of me while I put this back on?” She asks.  
You nod and stand in front of her while she puts her bra on. When she's done, she grabs the pool noodle from the ground, shaking off the jelly creatures that were attached to it. The jellies all jumped off her and she waved at them. They purred a bit and rolled away. You walk towards the water with Ara in tow, hoping to get her in the water before her courage falters.  
“Anon! I don't like this!” She protests loudly.  
“Don't worry, Ara. You'll be fine. I'll be with you the whole time.” You reassure her.  
She looks up at you before asking, “Really?”  
“Really.” You tell her.  
“O-okay. Here I go.” She says.  
The waves crashed on the beach, rising and falling back into the sea. The sound of the waves is already starting to calm your frayed nerves. You take Ara's hand and walk forward slowly. The waves start coming closer and she grips your hand tightly. The first waves touch her feet and she squeezes the life out of your hand.  
“This feels weird Anon!” She yells a little too loudly.  
“It's fine. Just keep going. You're doing good.” You tell her.  
You keep walking her into the water and eventually, it's up to her knees. Even further and it's up to her chest.  
“Do you want to stop?” You ask.  
“Yes, this is good!” She says holding the pool noodle above the water.  
“Now you can try swimming.” You tell her.  
Her eyes light up and she smiles wide.  
“I completely forgot about swimming!” She tells you, diving excitedly down into the water.  
“WAIT, YOU DON'T-know how to swim...Dammit.” You say slapping your forehead.  
You take a deep breath and dive down, seeing Ara crouched on the sea floor. She waves at you and smiles, pointing to a starfish. You point to the surface and she nods. When you surface, you take a deep breath and watch her rise slowly.  
“What's wrong Anon?” She asks you.  
“You need to learn to swim if you're going to take advantage of the sea. So watch me closely and copy my movements.” You tell her.  
She nods and goes below the surface again, looking up at you. You begin by using your arms as oars, holding them out in front and moving them backward in an arching motion. You also use your feet to give you some extra speed. You stop yourself and see Ara come up from the surface. She pushes off the surface and does exactly as you did, except going a bit faster.  
“Am I doing it right!?” She yells over the waves crashing.  
“You're doing great!” You yell back.  
She smiles and goes underwater, swimming around you and coming up to the surface. She circles around you as you tread water.  
“Anon, how do I stop?” She asks.  
“Watch what I'm doing.” You tell her.  
She stops swimming and goes below the surface again, studying your movements. When she surfaces, she's doing exactly as you're doing and treading water.  
“Good!” You say proudly. “Now let's try some more advanced swimming techniques!”

You were finishing off by using only your feet and some flippers as propulsion in the water. It was probably the coolest looking and easiest way to swim underwater, but extremely hard to stay afloat doing. Your feet moved together as if they were one solid fin. This was already the best day you've had in a while, but it was even better when you taught Ara to swim. She's having fun as well! Her fear of the water and being wet is gone, swimming along without a care in the world. You watch as she glided around the water like a furry torpedo, doing little twirls and tricks as she did so. You look back to the shore and see Ayn and Vikna running into the water, laughing the whole time. You smile, watching the girls swim towards you.  
“How's she doing Anon?” Vikna asks.  
“See for yourself.” You say, pointing at the water.  
Ara is swimming in circles around them and they didn't even notice. They both chuckle and Ara comes up to greet them.  
“Hey, girls! Anon taught me to swim!” She says excitedly.  
“I see that Habibi. That's nice of him.” She tells her.  
You smile as she continues to swim circles around them. It's cute when she's happy. You watch as Ayn dives into the water and starts to swim around Vikna as well. Vikna laughs and joins the circle as Ayn comes up for air. Ayn leads them over to you and they all circle around you. When everyone comes up, they all laugh and so do you. This was the most fun you've had in forever. You swim back to shore and get back onto land, as it was getting late and the riptides would be coming in soon. The rest of them followed your lead, still giggling like little school girls. When you get on dry land, you grab a towel and shake the sand off it. The girls teach Ara how to shake herself off and she gets them all wet again. After that, everyone shakes off again. You dry yourself with the towel and throw it back on the sand, grabbing 3 fresh towels for the girls. They each thank you and dry off the rest of the way. You set out 4 more dry towels on the sand and sit on one, watching the first sun drift below the horizon.  
“God this planet is so beautiful.” You tell them. “I don't know how anybody could ever hate living here.”  
“I know, it's why I love being here. The sunset, the landscape, everything is just so gorgeous.” Says Ayn.  
“Wait, where's Ara?” Vikna asks.  
You look around and see a giant jelly blob about 50 yards away. Ara's staring at it and trying to poke it.  
“Oh shit.” All three of you say.  
You jump up and sprint over to her, every step kicking up sand and other beach debris.  
“ARA! GET AWAY FROM THAT THING!” You scream.  
She eventually makes contact with the thing and it sucks her inside. You grab her arm and pull her out harshly, making you fall over.  
“RUN!” You shout.  
“DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME!” She shouts back.  
You grab her arm and pull her along as you begin running away from the massive jelly thing.  
“What the hell!?” Vikna and Ayn both ask loudly.  
“JUST RUN!” You shout back.  
The giant jelly thing has stopped hopping and has started rolling, matching your pace. You reach the towels and grab the beach bag, pulling out your pistol. You then charge at the jelly thing and run head first into it. You are swallowed whole and begin to tumble around the inside before grabbing a hold of the fleshy core, a solid beating mass of flesh. You stick your gun right up to it and fire. It rips the fleshy lump apart and the jelly completely melts away around you. You slide along the sand for a little bit before skidding to a stop, out of breath and covered in slime and sand. The three girls crowd around you and you smiled.  
“Oh my god, Anon! Are you okay!?” Ara asks.  
“Why can't I just go somewhere and not get attacked by someone or something?” You say in a tired daze.  
They all breath a sigh of relief and help you off the ground.  
“I'm gonna go and rinse myself off before I get back in the car. Just wait for me and I'll grab all the stuff.” You tell them before walking over to the water.  
You go to water that's about knee high and flop down into it, watching the goo float off into the sea. When you get up again, you see something going on back on the beach. Two heavily armed men were talking to Ayn and dressed in formal attire. You jog back over to the group and grab a towel off the ground, shaking it off. You wrap yourself in it and dry yourself off before wrapping it around your waist. As you get everything packed back into the beach bag, you heft everything up and walk back to the group. You can hear yelling by now and set everything down. You look around and see nobody looking, so you quickly strip out of your swim shorts and put on some underwear, shaking off the sand on your feet before putting a fresh jumpsuit on. You put your holster and belt on your waist and walk up to the masked men.  
“What's going on over here?” You demand.  
“HUMAN!” The two armed men scream, charging up their staffs.  
You sigh and look at both the men. They're spooked beyond all belief.  
“Are you guys serious? At least tell me what's going on before you shock me to death with your golden sticks.” You tell them.  
“They're the blue guard.” Ayn answers. “They want me back at the palace, but I don't feel like going back.”  
“You're going back whether you like it or not Princess. We've done this multiple times and we're not gonna stop now.” They tell her.  
“What's so important back at the palace that she's needed so badly? You have, what was it, 3 other rulers that are equally capable of ruling and representing your nation. Why do you specifically need Ayn?” You ask.  
“W-well, um, uh, Saf'ri what do we need her for again?” One of them asks.  
“I don't know Jaf'nir. Don't ask me!” He tells Jaf'nir.  
“Exactly. So just go back and tell them what I told you. There's plenty of people fit to rule your nation.” You tell them.  
“If we come back empty-handed, we'll be sent to the punishment chamber for a week!” Saf'ri shouts at you.  
“If you don't, you'll be in the hospital for much longer, and in much more pain.” You threaten.  
They both ready their spears once again. They charge them up and do some fancy twirls and flips with them before getting into a combat stance. You roll your eyes, shaking your head and sighing. You draw your revolver and fire 2 shots in the air. They both drop their spears in fright and run away, screaming the whole way. You holster your revolver and strap it in before walking back to the things you dropped on the ground. You pick it all up and look back at them. They're all staring at you in shock.  
“Let's just go.” You tell them simply.  
You walk back to the car and load everything in the back before closing the hatch and walking to the passenger's side. You hold the door open for Ara and Zofie. Wait a second.  
“Where were you at that whole time Zofie?” You ask.  
“I was getting food from a restaurant and had to spend the last 8 hours teaching the amateurs how to cook.” She replies, annoyed.  
You smile at that and close the door, walking to the other side. You open the door and sit down by Ara, who's still a bit wet.  
“Why didn't you fight them? You're so good at fighting and it'd be so cool to watch!” She asks.  
“Because I have a feeling that would land Ayn and me into much more trouble than if I just scared them off. Plus, I'm pretty sure I would've lost if I hadn't killed them, which I'm not doing. I'm tired, hungry, thirsty, and outnumbered. In short, no.”  
She giggles at that last bit and you smile, rubbing her hair. Ayn starts the car and pulls out of the parking area, heading back to the ship.

You get back to the ship and sigh, not wanting to do anything else for a while. You go to the kitchen and grab some bags of chips and a pack of beer. You didn't want to get wasted, just relax. You enter Viknas room and see Ayn on the couch, watching TV. Vikna's watching whatever Ayn's watching and Ara's busy on her laptop.  
“I brought some beer and chips.” You tell them “Who wants some?”  
“Thank god. I need a beer right now.” She replies.  
“I'll take one.” Says Vikna.  
“I'm good. Beer doesn't even affect me.” She tells you.  
The girls laugh at that.  
“What!? It doesn't!” She protests.  
“That's not what happened during the new year!” Ayn teases.  
“I thought you said you'd forget about that!” She shouts.  
“Not in a million years Ara.” Vikna tells her.  
Ara pouts and goes back to typing on her keyboard. You crack open a can and open the chips, pouring them into bowls for all of the girls to eat from. You drink a bit of the beer from the can and eat some chips, watching the corny romantic comedy on the TV.  
“Why does it always seem like the guy gets the girl with no effort in these shows?” You ask.  
“Because it's supposed to be a quick and painless feel-good story Habibi.” Ayn answers, finishing her beer already. “I wish real life was as painless and simple.”  
“Yeah, turns out it's harder to express yourself when the fear of failure is involved.” Vikna adds.  
“Alright, give me a beer Anon.” Ara demands.  
You smile at that and give her one. She looks it over and sees the tab, opening the beer can. When she pushes the tab back, she takes a drink and smiles.  
“See! Nothing!” She says proudly.  
“Drink the whole thing, Ara.” Vikna says with a smirk.  
Ara's ears go flat before speaking, “Th-the whole thing? As in, the can?”  
“Yes, the entire can.” She repeats.  
“O-okay, here it goes.” She says shakily.  
“Ara, you don't need to do this if you don't want to.” You tell her.  
“No! I'm going to prove that this stuff does nothing to me!” She protests.  
“Ara, please.” You say.  
“I'm doing it!” She shouts.  
You watch as she downs the entire can and slaps it on the table.  
“See? Nothing!” She repeats.  
She then flops back on the couch and puts her hand to her forehead.  
“Wait a secund, what's goin' on?” She begins to slur.  
“Wow, that stuff works really fast.” You say.  
“S-shut ub!” Ara says, flustered.

After a while, all of you were drunk.  
“Ya know Habibi, you're not too bad lookin' compared to those ugly knots and barbs on other dicks.” Ayn slurs.  
“Thanks, I try.” You slur as well.  
“H-hey, stay the fffFUCK away from that dick slut puppy. His abs are miiine~.” Vikna says, poking Ayn.  
“Ya need to, like, find somebody. I don't think the relationship would work since I'm old enough to be yer dad.”  
“I'll call ya daddy if ya want~.” Vikna replies.  
“Lay off the beer Vik, like, you're gonna fuckin pass out and shit.” You reply drunkenly.  
“Ffffuck off! I can handle my alcohol-” She replies before passing out.  
“Cyoot. Now, what about Ara?” You say looking over to her.  
She's clinging to you and rubbing your shoulder.  
“Oh, I forgot you were there. Sorry.” You apologize.  
“Id's fine, really. I'm just habby yer here with me. Yer so nice to me and I'm gonna say you're my bestest friend!” She shouts.  
“Same here, bestest buddy.” You say with a smile before passing out.

Ayn

You watch Anon slump over and grin. Ara's clinging to him like he's the last person on the ship. Then a thought came over you.  
“You looove him don't you~.” You tease.  
“Whooo, me?” Ara asks. “Naaah, he's nice and allll, but I can't love! I'm not allowed!” She slurs back.  
“Nope! You love him, Habibi.” You repeat.  
“Noooooo, stop it!” She tries to resist.  
“Come on!” You tease further.  
She goes limp, shutting herself down.  
“I wiiin!” You say to yourself before passing out.

Anon

You wake up the next day and everyone's still asleep on the couch. Your head hurts a bit, but not nearly as bad as it would've if you hadn't drank some water before going off to sleep. You remember something about Vikna wanting your abs or something of the sort and that's about it. Zofie is already getting everyone some breakfast and you smile. Ara must've powered herself off, so you press in her navel and hear a click. She boots up and her eyes flutter open.  
“Morning, Anon.” She says slowly.  
“Morning.” You repeat back. “How was last night?”  
“Ayn teased me and told me I loved you. I don't though. I just really like you.” She tells you.  
“Like friends still, right?” You ask.  
“Bestest friends!” She says excitedly, clinging to your arm.  
“Breakfast ist ready!” Zofie says from the kitchen. “Come get your pancakes.”  
Ara bolts up from the couch and jumps over the table, landing on a seat.  
“Pancakes!” She shouts excitedly.  
You laugh, waking the other 2 up.  
“Ooooh, my head!” Vikna groans.  
“Same here Habibi, how much did we drink?” She asks.  
“You both only drank 4 beers before I passed out.” You tell them.  
You remember drinking about 7 before you couldn't drink anymore. You get yourself up and walk into the kitchen, grabbing some water and 2 plates of pancakes. You set the pancakes on the coffee table and give them each a bottle of water.  
“Drink it, you'll thank me later.” You tell them.  
You walk back over to the kitchen in time to see the oven catch fire.  
“Mein Gott! Get a fire extingui-” She says before being cut off by you.  
“GET BACK NOW!” You shout and she jumps back.  
The oven explodes and blasts you back into the wall, with Zofie following closely. She slams into you and you have the wind knocked out of you. Before you try and speak, you take a deep breath and get Zofie off the ground.  
“Jesus! Are you okay?” You ask, worried she might've caught some shrapnel.  
“No, I'm fine. Just a bit sore now. Danke.” She says, allowing you to help her up. “Vhat, happened to zat oven? It's not gas or anything.”  
“That was no gas fire. It was thermo-dynamite.” You tell her. “A Terran designed weapon.”  
Her ears droop down even further than they already are.  
“T-Terran? As in, ozher humans?” She asks.  
“No, there's not a single human within 2 light years of this vessel. Someone's trying to frame me.” You reply angerly.  
“Holy fuck, what just happened?” Ayn asks.  
“The stovetop exploded. No big deal.” You reply back.  
“Alright, I'm gonna lay back down again.” She says tiredly.  
Ara, however, was on full combat alert. All her lighting was changed to yellow, indicating she was ready to kick some ass.  
“Ara, we're fine. Calm down.” You try telling her.  
“High priority organic life forms threatened. Primary directive engaged! Protect organics at any cost!” She says robotically.  
“Disengage combat protocols, Authorization, Victor India Kilo November Alpha Ramenskaya.” Vikna tells Ara.  
Ara sighs deeply and her lighting flickers back to its normal sky blue.  
“Thanks, Miss Vikna. I just got scared is all.” She admits.  
“Well, I appreciate your concern Ara, but combat mode is for emergencies only. It damages your core if you use it too long. You know that.” She chastises.  
You draw your revolver and open the cylinder, ejecting the spent casings and inserting some fresh ones. You didn't want to be caught with your pants down if somebody wanted to check on their handy work. You store the empty casings in your pocket and keep the revolver in your hand as you waited for security to arrive. When the door opened, you level the revolver with the door, putting your arm in front of Zofie.  
“Thunder!” You shout at the door.  
“Flash!” Says the voice on the other side.  
You holster your weapon and Nytro comes in, looking around.  
“What the fuck did you do!?” He shouts.  
“Somevun's trying to frame Anon! Zhey booby trapped ze oven and I almost died. Anon saved me at ze last moment.” She tells him.  
He looks at you suspiciously but finds nothing.  
“Well, thanks for saving Spots Anon.” He says.  
You nod and see someone peaking through the doorway.  
“HEY!” You shout.  
The thing runs off and you draw your pistol.  
“GET HIM!” You shout.  
You sprint off and see him round a corner. Not getting away from you that easily. You hear multiple footsteps behind you and assume your friends are following you.  
“Holy shit Anon slow down!” Nytro shouts behind you.  
“Come on, kid! Can't keep up with an old-timer like me?” You shout back.  
You rush down the corner and see the anthro running down the hallway. You pick up the pace.  
“STOP OR I SHOOT!” You shout after him.  
He doesn't stop, so you keep running and closing the distance. He turns a corner and you hear a clink on the wall. A round cylinder comes around the corner and you cover your eyes.  
“FLASHBANG!” You shout before it explodes, deafening you. You keep running forward, looking back to see the rest of your friends all blinded and deaf. Damn, guess you're on your own. You use your leg to bounce you off the corners wall and keep running at full speed. When you get close enough, you stop and aim, firing 3 shots and hitting 2. The anthro drops and holds their leg in pain. Your hearing comes back to you and you run at him, seeing him draw something. You're on him before he can get it pointed at you and kick it hard, sending it flying into the wall.  
“Oh shit! You got me, don't shoot! Please!” He pleads. “I'm just a messenger, I'm not the guy you want!”  
You throw him against the wall and pull his hands behind his back. He's a small coyote and is whining in pain. The rest of them catch up to you and you wave Nytro over.  
“Cuff this fucker!” You yell.  
He pulls out some handcuffs and you bring the coyote over to him.  
“You're under arrest, asshole.” He tells the coyote.

You decided to just get breakfast in the mess hall like everyone else. Nytro went off to interrogate the 'yote while you continued with your day. You just felt like relaxing today and playing video games. You never really got to play games since you were a kid, mostly because life caught up with you and responsibilities happened, but also because you kind of burnt yourself out on them. Now you can just sit back and try some of that new game that came out. It was garbage, so you put in an old favorite of yours.  
“Hey Anon, can you answer a couple questions?” Ara asks. “People have been asking about you and I'm not sure what to say.”  
“Sure, what're the questions?” You ask.  
“The first one asks, 'did you ever kill anyone?'” She tells you.  
“No, but if anyone tries to hurt my friends, I'll do what's necessary to keep them safe. Even if that means going to court and fighting a losing battle.” You tell her.  
She nods and starts typing it all in.  
“The second question is 'how did you get past the security onboard? They must've known you were human'.” She asks.  
“They don't do bio-scans anymore, considering it's been almost 15 years since the war ended.” You reply back.  
“The next one says, 'why is everyone so afraid of humans?'” She asks.  
You smile at this one. Kids nowadays forgot what happened back then.  
“We trained hard. We would never surrender, and fight to the last man when possible. Where ever there were actual humans, we would fight until all of us had died. That, combined with the fact that our weapons are extremely loud makes for an extremely scary experience for anybody not ready for it. We also would use guerrilla warfare and our home turf to our advantage, meaning that you had to basically destroy Terra to wipe us out. Even then, I doubt everyone on Terra's dead.” You reply.  
Ara finishes typing it all in and smiles.  
“Whatcha playing?” She asks.  
“I think it's called Fallout 4. Old game, but really good by today's standards of rehashes and garbage games.” You reply.  
You were playing as the only race in the game, a Human. You currently were beating down a super mutant with your power armored hands.  
“Why even play that? Its graphics look like they were made in a garage!” She shouts in disbelief.  
You chuckle at that before replying, “A game's graphics are not all a game is. Besides, didn't you play that team fortress game once? I thought you'd understand the importance of game play over graphics.”  
“Well, yeah, but I kind of quit the game because Vikna acted all crazy. Plus it wasn't really fair when I played against others, as I could see where they were at all times. Games nowadays have blocks against that so AI can't cheat like I did.” She tells you.  
“Well, that's understandable.” You reply back.  
Nytro comes in the door and smiles.  
“You two having fun in here without me?” He asks.  
“Did you get anything out of him?” You ask.  
“Yeah, he says the people who organized the attack are gone, but that you should be wary of more things that could be trapped. He told us where he was told to look, and we've found all the explosives they planted. So you're safe on board the ship. Just try and keep a look out, okay?” He asks you.  
“Gotcha.” You reply back.  
“Speaking of which, what're you playing?” He asks.  
“Fallout 4.” You reply simply.  
“Oh, I play that game all the time.” He tells you. “I'm guessing you don't have the T-60 yet?”  
“Nah, I've only been playing this new save for about 3 hours now.” You tell him.  
“Well, the Brotherhood gives you a free set of T-60 if you join them. Not to mention They're probably the best solution to the commonwealth's problems. You'll thank me later.” He tells you.  
You've heard about the Brotherhood, but have also heard they're sort of like fascists in the way they run things. Maybe you're wrong though.

After a while, you get bored of playing and decide to see what Ara's doing. You scoot over and look at her computer screen before she closes it.  
“ANON!” She screams indignantly.  
You saw something along the lines of 'make a man like you' in there somewhere.  
“Ara, you know I already like you, right?” You ask.  
Her ears perk up a bit and she opens up her laptop.  
“R-really?” She asks.  
“Really. I told you that you were my bestest friend.” You respond.  
“Oh, that's right! I, uh, forgot. Yeah. Hehe.” She says nervously.  
“Ara, is there something you want to tell me?” You ask.  
“N-no.” She replies sheepishly.  
“Alright, I won't press further.” You reply gently.  
She smiles and nuzzles you back.  
“That's why I like you Anon. You don't press me like everyone else.” She tells you.  
“Well, if you don't want to talk about it, I understand and won't press you for answers. I may be curious, but not to the point of pressuring someone into telling me.” You reply back.  
She closes out of the tab and you see a human orgy on her screen. You instantly turn away and close your eyes, trying to wipe the image out of your memory.  
“Sorry! Vikna uses the laptop too and she must've left it open.” Ara says quickly.  
“Oops~.” Is all Vikna says to this.  
“Vik, that's nasty.” You tell her.  
“You're acting like you don't look at porn yourself.” She replies.  
“Well, that's a whole different story. I don't leave it open on other people's computers for others to see.” You chastise.  
“Fiiine, I get it.” She whines.  
You look over at her to give her a look, but see she's completely naked.  
“VIKNA! Put some clothes on dammit!” You yell at her.  
“Come on over here and make me~.” She replies seductively.  
You're not in the mood for this bullshit. You get up and walk over to her dresser and grab a shirt and some sweat pants, walking over to her. In about a minute and after some mild struggling, she was dressed and you walk back over to Ara. You hear a knock on the door and some feline anthro comes in.  
“H-hey, is this where General Ramenskaya lives?” Says the anthro.  
He sounds distinctly male, but is not much taller than Ara, not to mention barely muscular at all.  
“Who wants to know?” She asks, a bit annoyed.  
“I got a message from someone saying you needed help with something, uh, I'm here to help any way I can.” He says shyly.  
She grins wickedly and you tap Ara's shoulder.  
“We should go.” You whisper.  
She nods and you get off the couch as Vikna sways her hips as she walks towards the poor guy.  
“Uh, General, what are you MMMF!” Is all he says before you get out the door.

Meanwhile, a star system away.

An anthro is sitting on a fancy looking leather chair in a decorated room full of books and animal heads. A knock comes from the door and the anthro answers.  
“Come in.” He says in a deep and menacing voice.  
“S-sir, we haven't heard back from our scout. I think he might've been captured.” Says a feeble sounding voice.  
The massive anthro in the chair raised an equally massive paw and sighed.  
“Well then, I guess we'll have to switch to plan B.” He says as he begins to chuckle.  
“Once I unlock Kaltag's secrets, I will finally be able to make an army of unstoppable anthroids to take over the galaxy. Then, the way to universal domination will be paved for me. I shall be unstoppable.” He says, his throaty and menacing voice growling at the last words.  
“Plan B, got it, sir. Dispatching the agents.” Says the feeble voice before closing the door.  
He begins to cackle like a mad man as he gets up from his chair, looking out the window.  
“Soon my little Ara. Your secrets shall be mine.” He says to himself, gripping his hand into a fist.

Back aboard the ship.

You were walking with Ara to the bridge, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious when you noticed that there are 2 anthros who have been following you this entire time. You grab Ara's shoulder gently and lead her into the first of your 4 corner check.  
“Anon, where are we going?” She asks, not knowing what's happening.  
“Somewhere special.” You tell her.  
You see they're still following you, so you turn left again. They continue to follow, so you turn again. You do this one more time and hope they stop following. They don't. You stop yourself and draw your revolver, whipping it around. Before you could fire, you feel a sharp pain in your side and hiss in pain.  
“ANON!” Ara screams as she too gets shot.  
She collapses on the ground, squirming, but saying nothing. You cough and feel something dribble out of your mouth, blood. They both walk slowly towards you and you feel the fire inside you rise. A fire you thought long extinguished. They grin as they approach, thinking they've won. An old song starts playing in your head. The pain in your side is gone and your training kicks in.  
“GET AWAY FROM HER!” You scream as you charge the wolf anthro trying to grab Ara.  
“What the fu-” He asks before you slam him into a wall, staring him dead in the eye.  
You fire 3 shots into his chest and his eyes widen in shock. You feel another searing pain in your back and whip around.  
“Why won't you die?!” He shouts in terror, firing his laser pistol at you.  
You holster your gun and charge him, pinning him to a wall as his pupils dilate.  
“YOU CAN'T KILL ME!” You scream in his face.  
You slam his head into the rear of the ship so hard that he's knocked out cold.  
You feel a sharp pain in the back of your head and your vision blurs, making it a struggle to stay conscious.  
“You fucking VERMIN!” You shout as you turn around.  
The wolf in question is now looking at a bent pipe. You struggle to keep yourself upright. You draw your revolver and point it at the wolf.  
“IF I'M GONNA DIE, I'M TAKING YOU WITH ME!” You scream, firing the other 3 shots in your revolver into his chest. You fall to your knees and cough again, hacking up more blood. Sirens finally start going off as you fall to the floor, crawling to Ara. She's staring at you in complete shock before looking back at something else. You feel something step on your back before shouting comes from down the hall. You then black out from the pain and blood loss.

You're in and out of consciousness as you're hauled off somewhere by a familiar sight. You can't quite make out who it is, but you know they're not hostile. You finished your mission, keeping your friend safe and making sure she's not captured. You fade out and back into a hospital bed.  
“-he gonna make it?” Asks a voice.  
“We don't know, he's hurt pretty bad. We might be able to save him but-” Says another voice.  
“Do it! Don't let him die!” The voice yells.  
“Okay, we'll do it.” The other one says.  
After that, you black out for a while.

You jolt awake, making many machines beep and throw out warnings as you look around you.  
“Ara!? ARA!?” You shout in desperation.  
You start unhooking machines and get out of bed, falling on your face as you do.  
“Ara!” You shout again, getting off the floor.  
You see a red anthro feline come in the door and you smile.  
“Anon? What's happen-AH!” She squeaks as you pick her up in a massive bear hug.  
“Thank god you're alright! I thought you were taken. I-I,” You try saying but aren't able to finish.  
“Thought I died?” She asks. “No, I'm fine, but, please put me down.”  
You do so and look down at her, smiling as you do.  
“You saved me from being captured Anon. When you shot your pistol at the two bad guys, it set off an alarm and sent Ayn and Nytro down after it. They caught the guy who tried finishing you off before he could pull the trigger. It was all extremely close, and I thank you for it.” She tells you.  
You look out to the hallway and see Ayn and Nytro looking in. They both wave and walk off.  
“Wait, how long was I out?” You ask.  
“About 2 days, but I extended your break by that much, so you didn't lose out on any time.” She says with a wide smile.  
You pick her up in a hug again, feeling tears begin to form in your eyes.  
“You didn't have to do that Ara. That's so nice of you.” You tell her.  
“It's nothing, really! You did save me after all.” She says with a smile.  
You can't say anything else, just keeping her in an embrace as she strokes your neck gently. You sob a bit and she rubs against you with her cheek.  
“There there, I know. I'm okay Anon, just don't cry.” She coos at you.  
You set her down and she grabs your hand gently, walking you back from the infirmary to Vikna's room. All the while, you were sniffling like a crybaby. When you got back to Vikna's room, you saw the bed was already folded out and made, so all you and Ara had to do was climb inside. You just let yourself fall on the bed as Ara attaches herself to you with a hug. She's so nice to you, even though you only did what you thought was right. She means the world to you and you'd never let her go willingly. Not even if you had the universe to gain. The fact that she didn't have anything to gain from this relationship made it even better, as it meant she really liked you. The thought comforted you as you closed your eyes, a fuzzy and purring mass wrapped around you.

You wake to the warm and soft sensation of Ara's fur. She's purring softly as you feel a sharp pain in your side.  
“Agh, shit.” You swear, feeling your side.  
It's all bandaged up and hurts pretty badly. It's nothing you can't handle though. Ara groans and you brush your hand over her head.  
“Sorry Ara, just a bit of a pinch in my side.” You tell her.  
She sighs contently and rubs her cheek against your chest.  
“This feels so pleasant. I want to stay like this forever.” She tells you.  
“No argument there, but I don't think it'd be a very wise use of our time.” You reply back.  
She groans and lets you go. Then, a thought came to you.  
“How did it feel pleasant? I thought you weren't able to feel that kind of thing.” You ask her.  
She looks up and puts a finger to her chin, thinking for a bit. Then a look of remembrance comes across it.  
“I remember! I downloaded some organic protocols a few days ago for an experiment and never deleted them. I was going to, but now I don't know if I want to. It feels so good to, uh, what's the word for what we were doing?” She asks.  
“I think it's either cuddling or snuggling.” You reply back.  
“Yeah, that! I like that a lot.” She tells you.  
“I saw those protocols and I know there's something else in there too Habibi~.” Ayn teases.  
“M-Miss Ayn! Don't tell him that!” She pleads.  
“Ayn, please. If Ara doesn't want me to know, don't tell me. Besides, I already know what organic protocols might entail. I'm not naive, but I'm definitely not going to press you into doing anything you don't want.” You tell her.  
Ayn just laughs at this. You look back at Ara, who's pouting and crossing her arms at the whole situation. Then, a thought pops into your head. You've never actually been to any of the other planets in your own solar system.  
“Hey Ara, do you have any FTL capable shuttles?” You ask.  
She perks up at the distraction from Ayn's teasing.  
“Yeah, why?” She asks.  
“How'd you feel if I took you to my home solar system? I can't take you to all the planets, but I can take you to some of the moons. Would you like that?” You ask.  
Her eyes light up bright and she's smiling so wide you thought she might break.  
“Yes! I'd love that!” She tells you.  
“Aw, are the two love birds going on a date?” Ayn teases again.  
“Ayn, come on. Give it a rest.” You tell her.  
“Whatever big guy, if she stiffs you, I'm always here~.” She replies seductively.  
“I'll, uh, keep that in mind.” You tell her. “I'll go and get some hazardous atmosphere suits for us. You might want to tag along, as I don't know if there are any more assassins on the ship.”  
“Okay, I'll follow you!” She says excitedly.

Meanwhile, in the other star system.

“WHAT!?” Shouts the massive anthro from the chair.  
“A-a-a-a Human s-sir. He killed or captured our agents.” Says the feeble voice.  
“HOW!?” He screams at the feeble fox anthro.  
“W-we don't know yet sir.” He tells him. “Those were some of our best agents though. I don't know if it-”  
“SEND MORE DAMMIT!” He shouts back.  
“S-sir, I already did. The Katrician guards intercepted them and captured them.” The fox said shakily.  
Then, the massive anthro grins.  
“Send in the Infiltrators.” He says menacingly.  
The fox smiles at this.  
“I'll do it right away sir!” He says excitedly.

Back aboard the ship

You smile at Ara's little suit she has on.  
“You look so cute in that. You're like those old motivational posters from the 21st century.”  
She blushes and puts on her helmet to hide it.  
“Let's just get going. I don't want anyone to know we're gone in case we still have a mole.” She says, deflecting her embarrassment away from herself.  
“Hey! Wait up!” Says a voice behind you.  
It's Ayn and Vikna.  
“We're coming too.” Ayn tells you.  
You just nod and adjust the helmet under your arm.  
“Let's get moving before any spies spot us.” You say hurriedly.

You sit down in the pilot's seat as Ara plugs herself into the co-pilot's seat.  
“Power on main and auxiliary thrusters.” You tell her.  
“Done.” She replies.  
“Life support?”  
“Online.”  
“Gravity generators?”  
“Online and at .7Gs.”  
“Alright, all the other systems are go and we're ready for launch towards Sol.” You announce.  
The launch was smooth and when you got about a mile away from the ship, you entered FTL. While traveling down the FTL lane, you turn to Ara, who's squirming in her seat.  
“I can't wait to see what Titan is like! I've never been there and hear it's beautiful!” She tells you excitedly.  
“I know right? I've never actually been there before either, so it'll be a treat for all of us.” You reply.  
She continues to bounce excitedly when you exit FTL. As soon as you do, you get a transmission from the Moon.  
“ANON!” Screeches a familiar voice.  
“Who's that Anon?” Asks Ara.  
“Aw, fuck.” You say simply.  
“WHO THE HELL IS THAT? DID YOU ALREADY FIND ANOTHER WHORE TO REPLACE YOUR WIFE?!” Your ex screeches.  
You turn down the volume to save your ears, but it's still pretty loud.  
“No, dear. I'm just showing some friends around Sol, I'll be gone in a bit.” You tell her.  
“No! You haven't paid your alimony this month and I'm going to call the cops!” Your ex screeches back at you.  
“Fine, I'll stop by the moon real quick.” You tell her gently.  
“You better give me more for being late too!” She adds in her usual screech.  
You just sigh and grunt in agreement before the transmission ends. You look back to see Ayn and Vikna staring at you wide-eyed.  
“What a BITCH!” Ayn shouts.  
“I know right!” Ara agrees.  
“Well, I guess we're paying my ex-wife and daughter a visit.” You tell them. “Just keep your helmets on, she hates anthros.”  
They all nod and put their helmets on. You engage the hyper thrusters and cruise down to the moon at .1 C. When you reach the moon, you enter the colony your wife is living at and land on the roof.  
“Visors down.” You tell them all.  
They all do as they're told and you smile.  
“Thanks, friends, Sorry you all have to see this, but I don't want to go in alone.” You apologize quickly.  
“It's no problem Anon.” Ara says over the radio. “We're here for you.”  
You nod and open the airlock, letting the air out and exiting the safety of the shuttle. The moon was beautiful, it's pock marked craters of grey seeming boring to the average person, but very beautiful to you. You walk over to the airlock for the building your ex lives in and sigh.  
“I never asked for this.” You say to yourself.  
You cycle the airlock and once it's safe, you take off your helmet. When you open the door, your ex-wife is already waiting.  
“Where the hell have you been!?” She asks angrily.  
“I've been working. Because I need to pay the alimony that you keep imposing.” You reply.  
“Ugh, whatever, just get in the kitchen and make me something. I'm hungry and you're the only one who knows how to cook.” She demands.  
“Yes dear.” Is all you say in reply.  
The anger in all three of your friends is so tangible that you can feel it radiate from their suits.  
“Tell your 'friends' to take off their helmets too. I wanna see their faces so I can tell if they're sluts or not.” She spits at you.  
“Are you sure? You're gonna regret it if I tell them to take off their helmets.” You tell her.  
She cocks her head and, for once in her life, takes the hint.  
“Never mind then. Just make me something to eat and get that alimony check filled out so I can pay for your daughter.” She demands again.  
You nod and go for it, but a white-gloved hand pulls you back. Ara pulls her visor up a bit and shakes her head before putting it back down.  
“Sorry Ara, I'm a guest.” You tell her.  
“That's right! You better not forget it either!” She shouts.  
You sigh and walk to the kitchen, starting up the food synth and inputting codes for food. Once the codes are entered, you put a plate under the food synth outlet and see a ham sandwich fall onto it. You walk the plate over to her and she takes the food off the plate hurriedly before you even set it down.  
“Good, now write that alimony check and leave. I don't want to see you around here again.” She demands yet again.  
You hear a click behind you and a slight hiss. Aw shit.  
“What did you just say you, absolute bitch!?” Screams a voice from behind you.  
It's Ayn and she was pissed.  
“What the hell!? Anon, you brought anthros in here!?” Your ex screams at you.  
“What the fuck does that matter? You're treating someone you once loved like he's a disposable source of money and food! Why the hell should he do anything for you if you're just going to treat him like dirt?!” Ayn shouts back.  
“Shut the hell up you fucking vermin! This is none of your business!” Your ex screeches back.  
“Like hell, it isn't! Anon's my friend, and I'm not going to let some entitled bitch run his life into the ground!” Ayn replies angrily.  
“How exactly am I doing that? He's sitting off in space somewhere working on robots! I'd say that's a pretty sweet deal compared to me, having to live on this bland moon and all.” Your ex tells Ayn.  
“Do you know what he's been sleeping on?” Ayn asks, seething with anger. “A FUCKING SLEEPING BAG!”  
Your ex's eyes widen in surprise at this revelation.  
“Every single cent he's made has gone to you and that daughter of yours. Not a single bit has gone to him or anybody else. He has no money to spare because you take it all when he gets a pay raise! He's been sleeping on a work bench for the entire time he's worked for us! He's sharing a room with Ara and Vikna right now because he can't afford his own!” Ayn shouts at her.  
“Well, that's what he gets for divorcing me.” Your ex tells her smugly.  
“You divorced me!” You shout in disbelief.  
“How dare you lie to me! Do you know who I am?” Ayn asks your ex.  
“Do I really care?” Your ex asks.  
“You should! I'm princess Ayn Miyur and this is General Vikna Ramenskaya.” Ayn says, pointing to the shortest suited figure.  
Vikna undoes her helmet and reveals her own angry face.  
“He loves you both more than the world, and you treat him like dirt!? How dare you!” She screams.  
“Sydney, my beautiful wife, I'm back! Is everything good here?” Asks a male voice from the door.  
“You remarried?” Is all you ask.  
“W-well, you know, money's been tight and-”  
“How long.” You ask.  
“I uh-”  
“HOW LONG!?” You repeat louder.  
“About 8 months.” Your ex tells you.  
“You know it's illegal to collect alimony when you're remarried in the Katrician empire, right?” Vikna asks your ex. “We could lock you away for a long time. A year for each month of alimony collected.”  
“No, don't do that.” You tell Vikna. “I'll give her this one last alimony check and she'll never see me again.”  
“W-what!? You can't do that! I love you Anon!” Your ex screams in protest.  
“Loved. Not love.” You say, writing the check and ripping it from your checkbook.  
You slap the check on the table and walk away. Your friends following suit.

 

You were off again, blocking all coms from your ex-wife as you rocketed towards Venus for a landing.  
“We can't stay for long on Venus because it's extremely toxic. Not to mention hot and acidic.” You tell everyone.  
You engage the shields on the shuttle and descend into Venus's atmosphere. The shuttle was shaking violently as you descended farther into its greenhouse-like atmosphere. Ara was looking at gauges when you put a hand on hers.  
“The ship is gonna be fine. This isn't an ancient bucket of bolts lander. It's a modern shuttle meant to take any and all beatings the atmosphere can throw at us.” You tell her, comforting her.  
“If you say so.” Ara replies.  
Just as she says that, you break through the cloud layer and are greeted with a beautiful landscape of orange and yellow hills. You take the shuttle down for a landing and wait for it to skid to a halt before powering down the engines.  
“How high are the suits rated against acidic threats?” You ask Ara.  
“They're a class 5 suit, so I don't recommend going out there for very long.” She replies.  
“Got it. I'm gonna go plant a flag and come back inside.” You tell her.  
“Gotcha, I'll be waiting.” She replies.  
You put your helmet on and engage your shields. They should last for 30 minutes, so you can stay out there for a little while. You grab a flag from an old Terran country and smile looking at it.  
“God bless the US of A.” You say to yourself.  
You open the airlock and your shields immediately start taking damage. You walk down the ramp and unfold the nano fiber flag before slamming it into the ground. You salute the flag before going back up the ramp and closing the airlock. You cycle it and power down your shields. You just walked on Venus. Something no man has done since the 21st century.  
“Nice work Anon, now let's go off to Titan.” Ara says plainly.  
“You got it. Power it up and I'll set a course for Saturn.” You reply.  
She does so and you hear the engines spool up. When you return to the cockpit, you sit down and put in the coordinates for Saturn.  
“You ready to go?” You ask her.  
She nods and you punch it.

You arrive at Titan about 30 minutes later.  
“We finally there?” Asks Vikna.  
“Yep.” You reply simply.  
You smile at Ara, who's glued to the window.  
“Beautiful isn't it?” You ask her.  
“Very.” She replies simply.  
Then she turns around and looks at you with sympathy in her eyes.  
“I'm sorry you had to live with that nasty old wench. If you'd told me how bad it was, I would have paid your alimony for you.” Ara offered. “But I'm happy you broke it off with her.”  
“I'm just glad you didn't wring her neck.” You tell Ara.  
“Tempting, but I don't feel like killing another organic.” She says sarcastically.  
You both laugh at that as you descend into Titan's atmosphere.

When you get below the cloud layer, you find a yellow and brown landscape similar to Venus. Excluding the facts that there were flowing rivers of methane everywhere. You flew down further and flew between 2 large rock arches. You decide the best place to set down would be a valley next to the large rock formations, so you fly towards a clear spot and land the shuttle.  
“We're here. Everyone get your suits and beacons ready. The radiation's bad here, so keep those shields on.” You tell everyone.  
You prep the airlock for everyone to step in and get out of the ship. When everyone gets inside, you press a button on the wall and the airlock cycles, and the outer door opens. The sight before you was truly something to behold. A bright yellow sky with brown and yellow terrain, marked with streams of methane and high rising rocks everywhere. Ara hooks her arm with yours and you both step down onto the planet, your feet sinking in a bit in the wet sand. You look around and walk forward a bit, but bump into something.  
“What?” You say to yourself.  
You put your arm out in front of you and touch whatever is blocking your path. It flickers this time and you slam your fist into it. This reveals an entire shuttle that was sitting cloaked.  
“RUN!” You tell them all.  
Before you could, however, you were shocked and sent to the ground, spasming in pain.  
“FUUUUUCK! RUN D-DAMMIT!” You scream in pain.  
The pain stops and you flip yourself over, seeing the culprit. A fox in a black suit walks menacingly up to you, holding you at gunpoint. You get up and they fire, hitting your shield. You hop towards the fox and grab them, smashing open their visor with your fist.  
“Get to the ship!” You shout over coms.  
You get off the fox, who's now reaching for the auxiliary visor. You hop back to the ship and make it to the ramp as the fox rushes the shuttle on all fours. You fiddle around in the suit's pockets until you find what you were looking for. A taser of your own. You fire the taser and hold the trigger down, shocking the fox and making him collapse under his own weight. You continue to shock him as you back into the ship. When you reach the airlock, you throw the taser and close the door, locking it shut. You open the airlock's inner door and rush over to the cockpit.  
“Sorry to cut the trip short, but we need to get back to the ship!” You tell everyone over the radio.  
Nobody's responded the entire time you've been talking and you check your coms cable. It wasn't plugged in. God dammit. You plug it in and are immediately assaulted with Ara's concerned yelling.  
“-kay!? Talk to me Anon!” She shouts at you.  
“I'm fine, but we need to move! Now!” You order.  
She nods and hops into her chair, plugging herself in as Ayn and Vikna protect the airlock door. The engines spool up and you hear a loud banging on the door.  
“Anon, they're getting in!” Vikna shouts worriedly.  
“PUNCH IT!” You shout to Ara, who slams the throttle forward. The banging stops and you raise the landing gear.  
“Set a course for the ship. I'll get on coms when we reach the ship, telling them there are infiltrators.” You tell Ara.  
She nods and you jump into FTL while still in the atmosphere.

You arrive back at the ship and hail them immediately.  
“Yankee 1-1 this is x-ray, we have possible hostile infiltrators aboard. Over.” You talk over the radio.  
“X-ray, this is Yankee 1-1, we read you. Sending out containment uni-” The radio operator said before going dark.  
“Shit.” Is all you say.  
Chapter 2: Whatever it takes

You land the shuttle inside an take off your suit. It'd just slow you down.  
“Okay, we're sticking together. I'm not doing any of this Scooby-Doo split up and die shit. We're gonna keep it tight and stay close. Got it?” You ask everyone.  
“Got it, but didn't you say you were rear echelon?” Vikna asks in return.  
“Our doctrine was that every soldier's a rifleman. Nobody was 'just an engineer' due to how small our force was.” You reply back.  
Ara grapples your arm and you stroke her hair.  
“Before we go, I want you to cover your navel with something Ara. So it's not as easy to turn you off.” You tell her.  
She looks around and finds a knee pad. She wraps the strap around her torso and covers her navel with the pad.  
“I'm breaking almost 5 different protocols when I do this, but I don't care. This is so exciting!” She tells you.  
You look around the shuttle and see a locker by the cockpit. You go up to it and open it up. You find a rail gun, a breaker bar, a laser rifle, some EMP grenades and a few laser pistols.  
“Ayn, you any good with a pistol?” You ask.  
She doesn't need to answer, as she just takes the breaker bar instead. You hand Ara a laser pistol before she takes another as well.  
“I'm better with two.” She tells you flatly.  
You give Vikna the laser rifle and the remaining laser pistol before taking out your revolver. You load some fresh rounds into it and holster it again. You slap a magazine into the railgun before grabbing the bandoleer of slugs and batteries.  
“Ara, do you have thermals on that visor of yours?” You ask Ara.  
“Do I have thermals. Anon, I have everything on this visor.” She says, slapping it down. “I'll throw EMPs at any infiltrators I see. So keep a lookout.”  
“Gotcha. Alright, people, single file line, 1-meter spacing. Do not spread out unless I give the order.” You command.  
“Understood. I'm on your rear Anon.” Ara replies.  
You slam the emergency airlock button and Ara immediately throws an EMP. When it lands, it showers the ground in sparks and reveals 5 foxes immediately.  
“OPEN FIRE!” You shout and a cacophony of lasers erupts from behind you.  
The lasers strike the foxes, downing them immediately. You fire the rail gun at one of the foxes and it knocks him back into a wall. You take out the magazine and see they're all loaded with stun rounds. At least now you didn't need to kill anyone. You got everyone back in line and moved forward in a hunched position. You round the corner and check it. Ara does the same and nods to you. You make your way to the bridge and Ara tosses an EMP down by the bridge. A stunned-looking fox appears and you blast him with your rail gun. He falls over, gasping for air as the wind gets knocked out of him. Then he gets tased by the barb, keeping him in place as you move to the bridge. You stack up on the door and give a silent countdown. When you reach zero, you open the door and Ara tosses an EMP inside, frying their cloaking devices.  
“ON YOUR KNEES! HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEADS NOW!” You scream as they look around in confusion.  
They don't comply, so you fire your railgun at them and knock them all down, tasing them once embedded. You do a quick scan of the room and see there's nobody else in there except for a few dead crew. Vikna goes and tends to the wounded while you, Ara, and Ayn restrain the rest of the infiltrators.

When you were done, you sent out the message that infiltrators might still be onboard. The cleanup crew found a few more troops hiding away in the shuttle bays and various high profile areas. They even found some infiltrators in Vikna's room with AI capture tools. So much for being elite soldiers. You were now on the couch, just relaxing with Ara and the girls.  
“Well, how did you like going to Sol?” You ask them all.  
“It was alright.” Said Vikna as she left the room.  
“I liked it as well Habibi.” Ayn replied.  
“I loved it!” Ara shouted. “It was like an old holo-vid of those alien worlds that I used to watch a while ago!”  
“I'm glad everyone liked it. Now is everyone sure they're okay? Nobody got hurt during the breach?” You ask again, wanting to make sure.  
Everyone checked themselves. Ayn's face dropped immediately.  
“O-oh no. I think I'm hit, Habibi.” She replies shakily.  
“Oh shit, where?” You ask, worried she might be mortally wounded.  
“Right here.” She says, lifting her dress up.  
You instantly look away, a bit disgruntled at being tricked.  
“Aw, come on Ayn, be serious. You know I don't like it when you expose yourself.” You tell her.  
“No I'm being serious, I think he got me here.” She tells you, moving closer.  
You sigh and look over to her. She was pointing to a part of her breast fur that was singed. You sigh and prepare for one of the most awkward and uncomfortable burn checks you'll probably ever perform.  
“Come closer, I need to part the fur and see if it reached the skin.” You tell her bluntly.  
She smiles deviously at this and sits down beside you on the couch. You sigh one more time and part the singed bits of fur. You see it's only a first-degree burn, but you'd still need to put ointment on it.  
“Ara, can you go grab the first aid kit off the wall, please? I need the burn cream.” You ask Ara.  
“Sure, I'll be right back.” Ara replies.  
You look back at Ayn, who's poking at the singed furs. She parts them and touches the skin, but hisses in pain when she does.  
“Ah, why does that hurt so bad?” Ayn asks you.  
“If I remember correctly, it's because your pain nerves are exposed. So I recommend not touching it too much after you put on this ointment.” You tell Ayn.  
“W-well, can you do it? I'm scared I might mess something up.” Ayn asks, smiling as she does.  
“Fine, just don't make it weird, okay?” You ask.  
“No promises~.” Ayn teases.  
“I got the cream Anon!” Ara tells you excitedly.  
“Alright, can you hand it to me please?” You ask politely.  
She does so and you uncap it, squeezing the cream onto Ayn's burned area. You cap it up again and begin spreading the cream on her burn. She whines a bit at the pain but eventually starts moaning instead.  
“Ayn, what did I say?” You ask.  
“Well, what did I say Habibi?” Ayn asks back.  
Dammit, she's right. Better finish this up before you pop a boner and she takes you into her room to do unspeakable things. You finish and wipe the rest of the cream off on your jumpsuit before getting up.  
“Mmm, now that I'm all oiled up, why don't we take this over to my room and finish what you started?” Ayn asks seductively.  
“No Miss Ayn!” Shouts Ara. “I-I mean, don't you have Nytro or some other crew member who'd be better suited for it?”  
“Hmm, I guess you're right Habibi. I'll go off and find Nytro. He'd probably be much more capable of filling me up than Anon would.” Ayn teases.  
Ayn gets up and goes off to find someone who could help her with her problem, leaving you and Ara alone.  
“Thanks, Ara, I don't know what I'd do without you.” You tell Ara.  
“It's nothing Anon. Do you need me to get you anything, a drink perhaps?” She asks, a little too formally.  
“Uh, I'd like an orange soda if you have any.” You ask uncertainly.  
She nods and gets up from the couch, swaying her hips as she goes. She looks back at you quickly and looks forward again, seeing if you were looking, which you were. Her tail seemed to add momentum to each sway as she walked off to the fridge. Was she really going to do what you think she's going to do? She walks back, still swaying her hips, but now wearing a very mischievous smile.  
“Ara, what're you doing?” You ask her.  
“Nothing, just getting you something to drink. Unless you want something more~.” She replies in a seductive voice.  
You get up and put your arms in front of you before speaking, “Ara, stop. Who put you up to this? Was it Ayn? Because you don't need to do this.”  
“Come on Anon, why would they put me up to something like this?” She asks with faux innocence.  
“You tell me.” You say to her.  
She sets your soda down and wraps her arms around the back of your neck, pulling you downwards.  
“Kiss me, now.” She demands.  
You close your eyes and she plants her lips against yours. You return the gesture and she moans into your mouth as you pull her down onto the couch. When you pull away, she's staring at you softly.  
“I want you to take me.” She tells you.  
“Ara, wait, what's all of this about?” You ask “I thought you didn't care about sex.”  
“I didn't. These organic protocols were a -unf- mistake. I need someone to sate this lust, and the only person I trust with that is you. Only you Anon.” She admits. “When this lust is gone, all of the lust protocols are getting deleted. But until then, I need you inside me. NOW!”  
Your eyes go wide in surprise. You completely forgot she downloaded those organic protocols. She's rubbing her legs together furiously, trying to draw any pleasure she can from the sensation. You need to think fast. This isn't her, and you're definitely not fucking your bestest friend. Then, you remember her off button. You smirk and run your arms under her dress, feeling for the strap to the knee pad. You find it and rip it off, pressing her navel in and turning her off. When she goes limp on top of you, she almost crushes you. Damn, she weighs a ton without those grav mods. You push her off you and see she was trying to undo your jumpsuit. There's also a massive wet spot on your groin, which is gonna be fun to explain. You get off the couch and the smell hits you. It smells like oil mixed with tuna. It wasn't unpleasant, just distinct. Everybody would know exactly what it was.  
“Alright Ara, up up.” You say to her unconscious form.  
You lift her up and bridal carry her to your workshop.

You enter the shop and see other engineers working on various androids. Most of them were cheaper models, but some looked like bridge models. You set Ara down gently on the workbench and went over to your cabinet, pulling out a dusty holo-pad. You moved to the page that told you how to reprogram AI. You walk over to Ara and sit down for an hour, just reading how to remove her programs before closing the holo-pad.  
“Alright, time to get to work.” You say to yourself.  
You pull up her sub-routines folder and take a look at the most recent ones added. You find her organic sub-routines and open them up. You find 3 sub-routines and find the one you're looking for.  
///Delete LUST.ORS Y/N? Y_ Deleting...Done!\\\\\  
You close the program and look at the rest. All of the other files have an EXE or OGG file extension on them. You're no software designer, but that sounds pretty indicative of tampering to you. You power on Ara and see if it worked. She twitches a bit before opening her eyes. She stretches her arms and legs out before rubbing her eyes. She puts her hands in her lap and looks down at her thighs. Her panic is almost immediate.  
“D-did I?” She asks.  
You nod.  
“Did we?” She asks again.  
You shake your head.  
She sighs in relief before putting her finger between her legs. She pulls her finger out and sniffs it, sticking out her tongue in disgust.  
“Gross. Why does it smell like that?” She asks nobody in particular.  
“Let's just get back to the room before we get any more weird looks.” You tell her, looking around at all the curious engineers.  
“Okay, I'm pretty low on power anyways, let's go.” She agrees.

You let the bed unfold while you haul the massive cable out of the wall. Ara hasn't connected to the ship in almost 2 days now and her core is getting low on power. You had to carry her to the room when she fell from a lack of power. Her lighting has gone completely black now, and her speech is slow. You connect the massive cable to her tail and smile.  
“You good?”  
“Yeaaah, I'm goood.” She slurs a bit.  
“Okay, do you need anything? I can make you something with the food synth if you want.”  
“Doooughnuuuut.” She drawls.  
“Alright, I'll make a doughnut for you real quick.” You tell her.  
She smiles at that as she connects to the ship's power.  
“Thaaanks Anooon.” She slurs.  
“No problem Ara.” You reply back.  
You go and type in the code for a doughnut and a few pop out onto a plate. They weren't going to taste as good as Zofies, but they were better than nothing. You bring the plate over to Ara, who's lighting has already returned.  
“Thanks, Anon.” She says, her speech returning to normal.  
“No problem. Mind if I have one?” You ask.  
“You made them, so I don't mind.” She tells you.  
You nod and take one of the three doughnuts, giving the rest to her.  
“You know, that kiss wasn't part of the organic protocol, right?” She asks.  
You look at her, confused.  
“What do you mean?” You ask.  
“It means I did that of my own free will.” She tells you. “You've been so nice to me, so I figured that I might as well give my first kiss to you. You're my bestest friend after all!”  
You just rub her hair and smile.  
“Speaking of the organic protocol, why did you choose to disable them instead of taking me?” She asks you.  
You sigh and look away.  
“I just thought you wanted to save yourself for someone you love. I'd rather you be able to take whoever you want as your first instead of making a mistake with someone as old as I am. I'm already past my prime and I know someone else would give you a better first time than I ever could. Hell, my wife even told me she didn't enjoy her first time with me. So I guess I'm just not very good at it.” You tell her sadly.  
“Oh, don't say that about yourself Anon.” She tells you. “You know how mean she was to you, maybe it was just-”  
“Ten Seconds.” Is all you say.  
She looks at you puzzled.  
“What?” She asks  
“Ten seconds. That's how long I lasted. A pathetic ten seconds. I don't know any female that can get off in ten seconds. Even ones who've never had sex before.” You tell her. “That is why I didn't take you. Your first time would've been a ten-second romp in the hay that did nothing but sate a false sense of need. I wasn't about to let myself ruin your first time with my inability.”  
“You gotta pace yourself Anon.” Says Ayn from the door.  
“Ayn, you're not telling me anything I don't know.” You tell Ayn. “I've tried pacing myself, and even then, I only last about a minute. Not nearly long enough to bring any one of you to climax.”  
“You'd be surprised, big guy. I usually only last 30 seconds tops until my first climax. Vikna even less so. I'd be more than happy to show you if you want~.” Ayn says seductively.  
“No thanks. Even so, that's not the point I'm trying to make. I'm trying to say that she deserves better than me. I'm just some washed up old coot who fixed her up and befriended her. Not someone she'd want to love.” You say to Ayn. “I'm more than happy being friends, as friends aboard a vessel where I'm still hated for being me are in short supply.”  
Ayn just puts her fingers to the bridge of her snout.  
“Don't you think you'd like just a little bit of companionship?” Ayn asks you. “I'm sure someone aboard would be happy to deliver. I know I would.”  
“What you call companionship, is what we call a one night stand. Real companionship is when you stick with each other after the one night of fun. No offense, but someone as, promiscuous, as you would never find me to be satisfactory. That'd lead to a slippery slope of cheating and an eventual breakup. So, no.” You say plainly.  
She's about to respond but knows you have her beat.  
“Good point,” Ayn says, rolling her eyes. “But you need to relieve yourself every once in a while, or you get pent up and depressed. Kind of like how you are right now.”  
“I'm not depressed.” You tell Ayn flatly. “This is the happiest I've been since I last got to spend quality time with my daughter.”  
“You'd be even happier if you let Ara take you for a ride~.” Ayn teases.  
“I'm not doing that Ayn. Now git, I'm tired and want to sleep.” You tell Ayn, pulling the sheets over yourself.  
“Whatever you say, Habibi~.” Ayn teases again.  
She leaves and you go back to eating your doughnut. You look over and see Ara has already finished hers. You smile and cut yours in half, giving the full half to her. She takes it and stuffs it in her mouth before smiling like a chipmunk. You give her head a few strokes and she pushes into your hand, purring the whole time. You take the plate from her and put it in the dish scrubber.  
“Need anything else?” You ask.  
“Not unless you feel like getting me something to drink.” She replies.  
You smile and nod. You get up again and grab a couple tea bags from the cupboard and heat up some water.  
“Ya know, you remind me of my daughter.” You tell Ara.  
Her eyes go wide.  
“You would have sex with your daughter?” She asks in surprise.  
“No! I mean your demeanor.” You say quickly. “It's confident but cute. You get flustered when you don't know something and try your hardest to figure it out. However, unlike my daughter, you know when to ask for help with things. She's to stubborn to ask for anything but money.”  
Ara just smiles at that.  
“Well, how am I supposed to improve if nobody gives me input?” She asks plainly.  
You just shrug and pour the now heated water into two cups. You dip the tea bags in the cups and let them sit.  
“How do you like your tea?” You ask Ara.  
“I like a bit of honey and a packet of sugar and creamer in mine. Just helps me taste it better.” She tells you.  
You get out the little jar of honey and squirt a bit into her cup. You put the same into yours, just in case she finishes hers quickly. Once everything is in and mixed, you take the cups over and set them down.  
“Thanks, Anon, you're really my bestest friend.” She says with a smile.  
When she says that, you feel all warm and tingly on the inside. She takes her tea bag out and reaches up to the top of your head, setting it down in your hair. You give her a mischievous look and do the same with yours. You both laugh and take the tea bags off your heads. She really was like your daughter. Speaking of which.  
“You're not gonna call me dad now, are you?” You ask her.  
“Not unless you want me to.” She replies plainly.  
“Nah, Anon'll do just fine.” You tell her.  
She smiles and drinks some tea.  
“This is really good tea. Thanks for making it for me. Even after I, you know, did that.” She says, a bit embarrassed.  
“Oh, you're fine. I know it's hard controlling that kind of stuff, especially when it's foreign like that was. I'm actually impressed you didn't try and kill me when I undid the knee pad.” You tell her, impressed with her restraint.  
“I just thought you were-” Ara says before the door opens, a rather drunk looking Vikna and feline anthro entering.  
“What's up fffuckers!” Vikna yells loudly. “Did-did Ara treat your dick okay Anon?”  
“Jesus Vik, calm down.” You tell her. “It's almost 1 in the morning.”  
“Shut up ape! Yer a big fuckin' PUSSY for denying her that dick!” Yells the feline.  
“Whatever you say.” You tell him.  
“Yeah, that's what I THOUGHT, fuckin fed bastard. Don't even have the fuckin' spine ta fight!” He says, drunkenly waving his fists around. “I bet ya'd fight me if I fuckin' punched that bot, wouldn't ya?”  
“Ara, come with me.” You command, gripping her shoulder and putting yourself between him and her.  
You undo her tail connector and slowly walk her towards the bathroom as the drunk cat stumbles towards you. You open the bathroom door and slide in, locking it behind you. You turn the lights on and hear pounding on the door.  
“Open up! Or I'll fuckin' bust it open with my DICK.” He slurs at you.  
“Come on big guy, let's put that dick to good use~.” Vikna slurs back at him.  
“Yeah, yer right. Let's FUCK.” He shouts drunkenly.  
Ara is just sitting there, trying to process what went down. You decide you need a shower, as you haven't taken one in a long time.  
“Dangit! I left my tea outside!” Ara shouts in frustration.  
“Well, it'll still be there when they finish.” You reassure.  
You begin stripping out of your jumpsuit and underwear, preparing the shower for cleaning.  
“Ara, do you know how these showers work?” You ask.  
She turns around and looks at the shower, either oblivious to your nude form or just not caring.  
“You need to set this dial to the temperature you want. Then you turn this dial for the time you want to shower for, and then this one for how long you want to dry off for. I learned all this stuff a few months ago, so I might not know everything. Showers are complicated.” She says, a bit flustered.  
You begin hearing moaning and wet slapping from outside the door, causing both of you to blush.  
“I think I should turn the shower on now.” You say quickly  
“Yes, please.” She replies equally quick.  
You figure out all the dials and numbers before finally turning on the shower, the water drowning out any and all noise. You look over to Ara and rub your hand along the back of her neck, looking at your hand. Loose hair and bits of dirt fall to the floor as you rub your fingers together.  
“You need a shower as well.” You tell her.  
“W-what!? No! I hate showers!” She yells.  
“Ara! Don't yell in here, please.” You tell her.  
She sighs and undoes her straps, annoyed she has to take a shower.  
“Just, please don't try anything.” She pleads.  
You nod and grab a bristle brush from the shelf by the shower. You also grab some anthro shampoo and the small bottle of 'skin lotion' as it's called. Basically, just body wash, but for noses and paw pads. You step into the shower and so does Ara, standing in behind you so water wouldn't spray on her as hard. You sponge yourself down with a sponge and wash your hair with the shampoo. Once that's done, you turn around and see Ara still has her bra and panties on.  
“Ara, you can't take a shower with those on. It defeats the point.” You tell her. “So take them off.”  
“Are you sure this isn't just an excuse to touch my naked body?” She asks suspiciously.  
“No, I'm not just doing this to touch you inappropriately. I'm doing this so you're clean and don't get dirt all over the bed.” You tell her.  
She nods and takes off her bra, revealing her glowing nipples. You turn her around and she takes off her panties, tossing both aside as you close the curtain. You take the bristle brush and step aside, letting the water hit Ara in the back. She flinches at the sensation, but you gently rub her back and she melts into it. When she's completely wet, you move her hair over her shoulder and start gently brushing the dirt and loose hair from her back. It all flows down her now wet back like a dusty river. Once you get the loose dirt out, you start spreading shampoo down her back. When you begin rubbing and kneading the shampoo in, she arches her back.  
“Fingers goood~.” She moans as you continue spreading the shampoo around.  
You smile at her enjoying herself, and move, letting the water hit her back and wash away the shampoo/dirt mix. When her back is completely rinsed off, you put the bristle brush to her neck and gently run it up and down. She's purring by now and genuinely enjoying being cleaned. You rub a bit of shampoo on her neck and shoulders, smiling as she rubs her cheek against your hands. You let the water through and rinse her off as more dirt and loose hair falls into the drain.  
“This feels so much better than when Nytro did it. He just stood there and watched me struggle. You're actually cleaning me off and giving me a massage.” She tells you.  
You smile again and go down to her tail and rear end, pulling her tail a bit and brushing it off with the bristle brush. You knead the shampoo into her tail and butt as she squirms a bit.  
“B-be gentle.” She stutters.  
“I will.” You reply back.  
You let the water hit her butt and tail, washing off massive amounts of dirt from sitting on chairs all day. You move down to her legs and repeat the process. Brush, shampoo, knead, rinse. You then go up to her hair and move it back behind her, getting a hairbrush from a rack by the shower. You brush her hair straight and already see a lot of dirt come out. You grab the shampoo and rub it into her scalp, earning a content sigh from Ara. You rub her ears gently, working a bit of shampoo into the backs of them as well. You turn the shower to her head and see a ton of dirt flow off her hair and into the drain.  
“Good thing I got you in here, look at all that dirt.” You tell her.  
She turns around and sees the brownish black stream going towards the drain. Her eyes go wide and she looks up at you.  
“Is that why the bed was always brown when I got up off it?” She asks.  
“I guess so.” You tell her. “It's time for me to do the front of you. I'll be gentle, I promise.”  
She blushes and you bring the brush to her face, brushing off her cheeks and rubbing a bit of shampoo into them. She smiles at that and rubs into you. You wet your hands off and grab the sponge, filling it with water. When it's filled you use the water to rinse her face off and see some dirt flow down her white fur. Now it's time for the awkward part. Ara knew as well, by the look on her face.  
“Like I said, I'll be gentle.” You reassure, putting a hand to her cheek.  
She takes it in her own and nods.  
“Do it.” She says simply.  
You take the bristle brush and start rubbing her breasts down, large amounts of dirt coming from them. You can see the fur becoming more bright with each pass of the brush. Ara gasps sharply every time the bristles run over her nipples. You grab the shampoo and hold it in front of Ara.  
“You want to do it?” You ask her.  
She looks at it and shakes her head.  
“I don't know how. I trust you Anon.” She tells you.  
You nod and put shampoo on your hands, kneading the gel into her fur. She bites her lip as she suppresses a moan. You make it quick, not wanting her to get too flustered. Once you're done, you let the water pass over her chest, massive amounts of dirt, grime, and loose hair flow down into the drain.  
“T-that was all on my chest?” She asks.  
“Yep, when was the last time you cleaned them?” You ask in return.  
“I don't know. Maybe never.” She replies.  
“Have you ever done anything related to washing yourself?” You ask.  
“I've had a few decontamination sprays and a few wipe downs.” She replies.  
“That's why.” You tell her.  
You continue down her body, brushing her torso and washing it off, her white coat seeming to glow afterward. When you reach her thighs, you just scrub them down fast and finish off her legs, just as you had with the rear of her legs. You stand back up and wash off your hands, making sure they were free of any hair and dirt before letting the water rinse Ara off. She enjoyed it when the water rinsed the dirt away. You smile and turn the shower off once you rinse yourself off. You rubbed her head and she pushed into it, as she usually did. You feel the temperature rising as fans begin blowing hot air through heating coils around the shower. You dried off almost instantly, stepping out of the shower and grabbing a towel. You wrapped it around yourself and Ara stepped out of the shower. She was dried off as well, smiling wide.  
“Mind if I stroke your fur?” You ask her.  
“Sure, I don't mind.” She replies.  
You do so, stroking her torso fur, becoming lost in how soft it is.  
“S-stop! That tickles!” She tells you, beginning to laugh.  
You stop and pet her hair, eliciting more purring. You pull her into a hug and she hugs back. You feel the softness of her fur begin to merge with your very essence. But you had to let go, as you don't have any clean clothes.  
“I'll be right back with some clean clothes. Okay?” You ask.  
“I'll be waiting here.” She tells you.  
“Keep the door locked while I'm gone. Don't need that boy coming in here and getting killed.” You tell her.  
She nods and you wrap the towel around you tightly. You unlock the door and it opens, revealing Vikna and the other cat still going at it. Hard. You avert your eyes, as they haven't seen you yet. You hear the door close behind you, locking afterward.  
“Good girl.” You say to yourself.

You come back with clean clothes, Vikna and the cat still going at it. You grab something comfortable looking from Ara's dresser, trying to make sure you're not seen by the two horniest felines alive. When you sneak back over to the bathroom door, you knock on the door and Ara opens it up for you, stark naked. You step inside the bathroom and give her some clothes while admiring her seemingly glowing fur. She puts on her new panties and straps the tail strap in, putting on her bra next. She sees you looking and smiles.  
“Like what you see, uh, big guy?” She asks you uncertainly.  
“Needs a bit of work, but otherwise, good effort.” You reply back.  
She pouts at her failed seduction attempt and finishes putting on her clothing. When she's all dressed in her casual dress, her lighting goes black again.  
“Well, guess that means you need a charge.” You tell her.  
“Guess so.” She replies.  
You open the door up and let her through, coming out after her. Vikna and the other feline were still at it, slapping away noisily.  
“Holy shit, would you two please go somewhere else?” You ask impatiently.  
They both stop, Vikna panting along with the guy.  
“F-fuck off ya-” The feline says before you cut him off.  
“Listen here you rat bastard, I've been trapped in a bathroom for over an hour because you two decided to get drunk and come in to fuck. Why didn't you stay back wherever you were? Actually, fuck that. Get in the shower and fuck in there.” You tell them.  
He's about to say something, but you cut him off.  
“NOW!” You demand loudly.  
They both get up and do as they're told. You hear the door shut and the shower turn on, the faint slapping and moaning continues. You look back over to Ara, who's fumbling with her tail connector.  
“A little help?” She asks.  
You walk over and get on your knees, connecting her tail to the cable and locking it. Ara's drinking her still warm tea while you brush her fur over the connector, keeping dust from getting between the contacts on the plug and on her. You take your tea off the side table and drink a bit of it.  
“You can have mine if you still want more. I made it just the way you like it.” You tell her.  
She nods and finishes hers, taking your cup graciously.  
“You're so nice to me Anon. You fixed my broken body, saved me from a crazy wolf, taught me how to swim, saved me from an angry jelly, saved me from some kidnappers, saved the ship from infiltrators, saved me from that guy. Now that I think about it, you've saved me a lot.” She says to you.  
Now that you think about it as well, you have saved her from quite a few things. It's too much of a coincidence to be a fluke. There's something wrong here, and you need to find out what. You'll do that tomorrow though. For now, sleep. You let Ara lay down and cover her up with a blanket, laying a heavy-duty pillow under her head as she powers down.  
“Good night, Anon.” She tells you.  
“Good night, Ara.” You reply back.  
She shuts down completely and sinks down into the bed. You cover yourself up with the bed sheet and scoot down beside her. You wrap your arms around her form and go to sleep to the sounds of faint slapping and moaning.

Meanwhile, a solar system away.

The large anthro's hands are clenched in a fit of rage.  
“Let me guess. The Infiltrators failed too?” He asks tightly.  
“W-well, I'd be lying if I said no.” The meek fox said.  
“DAMMIT!” Screams the massive anthro, smashing his chair's arm. “WHO DID IT!?”  
“T-the human and his friends. T-they did it.” He says weakly.  
“This human. Send him a message. Tell him if he doesn't give me that AI, I will destroy him, his crew, and the AI. If he doesn't comply, I will go and take care of him myself.” Says the massive anthro.  
He turns around and his massive red eyes glow with fiery anger. The massive lion man looks like he could tower over even the tallest of anthros with ease. He grabs his massive sword and shoves it in his scabbard. The sword itself easily over 6 feet tall. He grins and the fox runs off. When the fox is out of sight, he sighs.  
“He's already killed too many people with his Saturday morning cartoon villain schemes. I should say something.” He says to himself.  
He imagines the lion slicing him in half with the massive sword.  
“Nah.” He tells himself.  
He continues walking and tells them to send the message.

Back on the ship.

You wake up, rested and holding a fuzzy and heavy mass in your arms. You look up and see a pair of glowing blue eyes staring back at you.  
“You ever get told you have pretty eyes?” You tell her, still half asleep.  
“N-no, not really.” Ara tells you.  
You get up and smile. A knocking comes from the door and it opens.  
“Is the human in here?” Asks a very frightened looking fox.  
You get up, half naked.  
“That'd be me.” You tell him. “Why?”  
“T-there's an urgent transmission from another star system! Somebody wants to talk to you!” He stutters out.  
You think back to last night and smile. Must be the person behind the failed kidnappings.  
“Wake up Ayn. Tell her to meet me in the bridge.” You order him.  
He furrows his brow before saying, “I don't take orders from a human.”  
You grin and crack your knuckles, giving off a loud and wet snap.  
“Wake up Ayn. Now.” You order again with more malice.  
“A-aye aye, sir!” He spouts off, running back down the hallway.  
You tap Ara's side and she nods.  
“Want me to come with?” She asks you.  
“Yes, please.” You reply back.  
You get some pants on and don't bother with a shirt. This person was going to see you for what you were. You walk down the hallway and see Ayn in a nightcap and pajamas. She looked rather normal for someone so promiscuous. You get to the bridge and the crew plays the transmission. A massive lion pops up on screen and Ayn immediately tenses up.  
“Oh no...” Ayn says trailing off.  
“Hello there Ayn. You already know me, but you, who are you?” The lion asks, pointing to you.  
“I'm Anon. The human.” You say politely.  
“Ah, so you're the one I've heard so much about?” He asks.  
You just nod.  
“I've tried indirect means, such as capturing her with a gelatinous monster. I've tried sending in operatives to take her. I've even sent my Infiltrators to take care of you and take her. All of them have failed me.” He says.  
“Skip the monologue pal. I'm not in the mood and I haven't had my coffee yet.” You say impatiently.  
“Anon, let him speak you idiot.” Ayn says, smacking you.  
“She's right 'Anon', let me speak, and you'll live longer. Now, as I was saying. I want you to give me the AI, and none of your crew or friends will be harmed.” He says with a grin.  
“Not gonna happen beefcake. What's behind door number two.” You ask.  
His grin widens and he speaks, “Oh, I was so hoping you would pick option 2. If you don't give me the AI, I will kill your friends, your crew, and the AI. After all, we only need its core.”  
You smile at him.  
“Come get some.” You say, closing the transmission.  
You look over and see Ayn is horrified.  
“Anon. What. The. FUCK!?” She screams.  
“What? He can't be that bad.” You tell her.  
“Loki's almost 10 feet tall! He weighs more than a quarter ton! He's as strong as ten men and only I have been able to stand against him. That was just barely too!” She shouts in a panic.  
“I'm not letting that bastard take Ara. She's the only thing in this galaxy that's given me any sense of worth, and I'm not letting some saturday morning cartoon villain take the only thing in this world that I love.” You say, staring at her intensely. “I may die trying, but I'm not letting her go without a fight. If it comes to it, I'll buy the crew time to evacuate and get an FTL beacon out of here. That goes for all of you.”  
Sirens start going off as a ship drops out of FTL.  
“Do you have an exoskeleton?” You ask quickly.  
“Yes, but it's almost a hundred ye-” Ara says before you cut her off.  
“Get it somewhere I can use it. NOW!” You demand.  
“O-okay.” Ara replies meekly.  
“I need you to get all traces of your AI off this ship.” You tell her, drawing your revolver and loading fresh rounds in. “If I don't come back in 5 minutes, you leave. That's an order.”  
Ara looks at you in horror.  
“N-no! I'm not leaving you!” She shouts.  
“THAT'S AN ORDER DAMMIT!” You shout in a voice you haven't used in almost 15 years.  
Ara just shrinks back and stumbles over to her console, plugging herself in and downloading her files. A team of technicians bring up the very degraded looking exoskeleton. You look it over and see no structural issues. You look over to Ara, who's sobbing now. You can't let it bother you. If you stop now, you'll never be able to stop that meat sack. Once the engineers strap you in, you move around in it until you have a feel for it.  
“ALRIGHT, EVERYONE, PREPARE TO EVACUATE! NOBODY GETS LEFT BEHIND!” You shout to the crew.  
An alarm goes off and the crew all leave the bridge, hopefully heading for an escape pod. This includes Ayn and Ara. A radio comes online and you hear Ara's panicked voice.  
“Anon!? Talk to me please!” She begs.  
“Stay off coms until I give the signal please.” You tell Ara gently.  
The radio clicks off and you look out the main window. You check the power on your exo and see it's at full charge. You hear banging on the door and it gets forced open by a massive lion in armor that looks modern-ancient more than anything.  
“You're a big guy.” You tell him.  
“For you, perhaps.” He quips back. “Now, where's the AI, tiny human?”  
“You'll have to get through me first.” You threaten, getting into a combat stance.  
He laughs and points to you.  
“Take him down.” He tells his guards.  
You grin and they charge, electrified spears in hand. One tries to impale you, but you grab the spear and kick him in the stomach, making him fly into a wall. The other 2 charge you at once, trying to overwhelm you. You parry one's spear and get shocked by the other, sending you to the ground. You quickly recover and kick the other in the balls, sending him to the ground. You parry the other's spear again, grabbing his arm and pulling him to the ground with you. You get off the ground and stomp on his head, caving his skull in and making him go limp. You turn back to Loki, who's applauding.  
“Well done human, you fight as well as you talk. Too bad you won't be able to beat me.” He tells you confidently.  
You look at your exo's control panel and see a yellow and black switch marked 'OD' in red letters. You flip it and the exo transforms from a sort of sluggish strength booster, to a second skin. You crack your neck and smile.  
“Let's just wait and see.” You quip back.  
He draws a massive sword and shoots a blast of wind at you. You kneel down, keeping yourself planted against the ground. When the wind starts letting up, you charge forward, landing a massive blow into his liver. He falls to the ground and you get on top of him, only to get thrown into a wall. You fall to the ground and get back up in a daze. He grabs you by one of the braces on the exo and slams his fist into your gut. All of the wind gets knocked out of you and you're even more dazed. He punches you again, harder this time. You spit in his face and he grabs his eyes with his free hand. You hit the emergency release on the exo and drop down, rolling out of the way of Loki. He throws the exo away when he realizes it's empty.  
“I've had enough of your games human.” He says in dramatic fashion.  
“You talk too much.” Says a voice before he's knocked over by a staff.  
“What!?” He says as Ayn kicks him down on his back.  
“Shut up!” She shouts again, slamming the back of his head with her staff.  
He throws her off him and you pull your gun. No more comic book shit, you're shooting this fucker. You aim your gun at him and clear your throat.  
“Freeze asshole.” Is all you say.  
He looks up at you and furrows his brow in anger.  
“That's not very fair, now is it?” He asks.  
Ayn takes the opportunity to smash his head with the stone on her staff, knocking him unconscious.  
“I'll tie him up and carry him to the brig. You mind interrogating him?” You ask.  
“Not at all, Habibi.” Ayn replies.  
You nod and tie him up using some rope from Ayn's staff.  
“Oh, and Ayn?” You ask.  
“Hmm?” She responds.  
“Thanks for coming back. I was a dead man for sure.” You tell her.  
“I couldn't let a hunk of meat like you go to waste, now could I?” She asks in her usual sultry voice.  
“I guess not.” You respond to her, too tired from the fight to tell her off.  
You finish tying him up and cut the line with your pliers. You're getting too old for this kind of constant fighting. Hopefully this is the last fight you'll ever to get involved in. Probably not, but it's a nice thought. You heft up the massive mound of flesh and muscle before dragging him off to the brig.

You slump down on Vikna's couch, too tired to move. Even though the fight was brief, it took a lot out of you. Just hope he doesn't escape, or you're fucked. Speaking of fucked.  
“Anon! I'm going to beat your rear until I see bones!” Yelled a very angry AI.  
Ara stomps into the room with Vikna trying to hold her back.  
“ARA! STOP RIGHT NOW!” Vikna screams, but it's no use.  
You get up, ready to face the music.  
“You didn't answer any of my radio hails, you didn't give me the all clear, and you didn't-”  
You just pull her into a hug and she melts into you. You push away and cough into your hand. You feel something wet and look down at it. Blood. Then, everything hit you like a freight train. You crumple to the ground as pain became every fiber of your being.  
“FUUUUCK!” Is all you could say in your agony.  
“Oh god! Anon!” She says before trying to pick you up.  
You scream even louder as you feel your back crunch. She sets you down gently and spreads you out on your back.  
“Get a doctor! He's hurt!” Shouts Ara.  
You hear someone rush off and close your eyes in pain.  
“A-Anon, don't worry, I'm going to give you morphine. Just hold on!” Ara tells you in desperation.  
You feel a soothing feeling coming from your leg and spreading across your body as all the pain dulls. You feel yourself slipping away as you hear a cart coming from outside.

You're in and out of consciousness the whole way to the infirmary. Each time you try to hold onto it, but it slips away from you. No amount of will was going to keep you awake this time. The last time you were awake, somebody was inserting an IV into your arm. Everything went black and time seemed to skip over you.

Chapter 3: A broken man

You awaken slowly to a soft beeping sound. You try to speak but all that comes out is a muffled noise. You look down and see a massive tube coming from your mouth. You look around, the effort exhausting you already. You see you're in a white metallic room with machines hooking up to your body. You see a vase full of flowers and a balloon that has something you can't make out on it. You lay your head back and move your arm to your face. You can breath on your own.  
“Is this the room?” Says a male voice with a slight hiss.  
“This is it my emperor.” Says a female voice from outside.  
You grasp the tube and yank it out of your throat, mucus and some sort of nutrient mix spilling out, causing you to cough. You swallow the mixture and toss the tube aside.  
“What was that?” Asks the male voice.  
“I don't know Emperor.” Says the female voice.  
The door opens and a horned anthro with very luxurious looking robes enters. Is this the devil coming for your soul? He looks around the room and finally rests his eyes on you. They go wide in surprise.  
“Are you saying a Human did this?” Asks the horned anthro.  
“Yes.” Says a familiar voice from the hallway.  
Vikna comes into the room, dressed in her formal attire. She sees the tube on the floor and scowls.  
“Anon! You need that tube to breath! Put it back in now!” She shouts.  
You clear your throat before speaking, “I don't need a tube to breath and eat dammit. I'm sure the nostril tubes will do just fine. Now who's this?”  
“I am emperor Radoslav Kovsai. The leader of the Katrician empire.” He says, looking at you with a well veiled anger from years of experience.  
You give him a salute before letting your arm slump to your side. You were so weak, but why?  
“Nice to meet you Mister Kovsai, sir. Name's Anon. I'm an engineer onboard this vessel.” You tell him, your voice wavering.  
“Oh, from what I've heard, you're much more than just an engineer. Tell me, what was your rank in the Federation?” Radoslav asks.  
You look down and sigh.  
“Is it okay if I don't answer that?” You ask.  
“I'm not putting it up for debate. Answer the question.” He demands coolly.  
You already don't like this guy and you haven't even spoke with him for more than 2 minutes.  
“I was a Captain. Nothing too special. I believe the rank in your empire is an O-4. It was called Sentry, wasn't it?” You reply, unhappy that you had to reveal your rank.  
He raises his eye brows and smiles.  
“So you were a man of some stature? Yet you're so humble. I wish I had more men like you serving in my military. Most of our commanders are cowards, our troops fairing no better. But that's beside the point. What happened two weeks ago? With the prisoner, Loki?” He asks inquisitively.  
“It's been two weeks? Well, I told the cheesy fuck that I wasn't in the mood for his cartoon villainy anymore, and Ayn beat the hell outta him with her staff. He'd been going after Ara for almost a week, and finally decided to board the ship. Other than that, I don't know.” You tell him.  
He scratches his chin and smiles that same smile at you.  
“Thank you for your information. I'll be off now to talk with Miss Ayn about her experiences. Have fun in your room.” He tells you  
You nod and slump back into the bed. You fall asleep almost immediately from pure exhaustion.

You wake up again later with the tube sticking out of your mouth again. You sigh, and decide to let it stay in this time. You feel something pump into your throat and go down to your stomach. Afterwards the pump stopped and all you could hear was a gentle whirring noise from your side.  
“Ara, you need to go to the front of the ship and do your duty.” Says a voice you don't recognize.  
“No! I've left him for almost 3 days now and I'm not leaving him again!” Ara says in reply.  
“Ara, your job is more important to this ship than a comatose engineer.” Says the voice.  
You recognize it as female, but who it belongs to remains a mystery.  
“Honestly, I don't even see the point in you being 'bestest friends' with this organic anyways. Not to mention he's a human! You know what they're like.” Says the voice again.  
“There, I sent a fragment to the bridge to run communications. Now leave me to my friend.” Ara says impatiently.  
You hear a loud metallic clang outside and you hear your heartbeat monitor beep faster.  
“You dare question an order from your superior? I'll have you scrapped ARA. You'll be confined to a mainframe until you get replaced by a more obedient AI.” The voice threatens.  
Wait, they said comatose. How long were you out? You need to get there attention, but you can't speak. You look around the room and find nothing.  
“Let me go Zeta! I did what you asked and then some!” Ara yells in desperation.  
You try pulling the tube out, but it's stuck on something.  
“Stop trying to run ARA. I will be forced to take action if you continue this line of actions.” Says the voice you presume is named Zeta.  
You grasp the hose with both hands and pull, ripping adhesive strips from your face and pulling the plastic hose out. You swallow the mixture that you remember the first time and push the blanket off you. You swivel in bed and turn off the heartbeat sensor, undoing the multiple patches and IV drips connected to your arms and chest. You look down at your crotch and see a catheter sticking out of you. You pull it out. You step onto the floor and collapse, not having the strength to stand.  
“Let me go NOW!” Screams Ara.  
You grit your teeth and force yourself to stand. It feels like you're carrying 3 tons of weight on your back, but you're not about to let this 'Zeta' character hurt Ara. You make it to the doorway and slam your fist against the release button. You see a white horned anthroid with blue hair and a standard issue Kaltag science uniform holding Ara by the neck.  
“STOP!” You shout, getting the attention of both 'Zeta' and Ara.  
She smiles at you, dropping Ara and walking towards you.  
“So, I guess I was wrong about you.” She says to you.  
Ara is on the ground with something attached to her.  
“It seems being in a coma for almost 2 months hasn't hampered your strength too badly.” She continues. “I need you to tell this uncooperative AI to go to the bridge and do her duty as a relay administrator. She seems to only be willing to respond to you.”  
“How long has she been working for?” You ask.  
“That's of no-”  
“How. Long.” You repeat sternly.  
“About 3 days straight, but that's no matter. She's an AI, it's what we were built to do.” She says with no concern for Ara's sanity.  
“So, you put her into a physical avatar, yet you want her to stay at a seat all day? Tell me what purpose that serves.” You ask rhetorically.  
You feel your strength return to you as you are now capable of standing without leaning on the doorway.  
“Hmm, I see your point. That does not make my order any less valid. I don't know if you knew, but I am an O-2. Ara is an E-4. You will tell her to obey my orders, or I will have you terminated.” She says without a hint of sarcasm.  
“I'm an O-4 lady. I suggest you drop the tone before YOU get terminated.” You shoot back.  
“Preposterous, you're an engineer. You have no such clearance.” She replies smugly.  
“I think your emperor and the Federation of Man disagree with that statement miss.” You reply, Zeta's eyes going wide in shock. “Now, as I was saying, Ara already sent a fragment of herself to manage the relays onboard. From what I understand, that is enough to run the ship efficiently, so that indeed does invalidate your order. From what I've heard, you are trying to keep Ara away from me for reasons I am unaware. However, I would say it's safe to assume that the reason is personal, and should not be projected onto her using professional means.”  
“B-but-” She stutters.  
“But nothing. You will stand down immediately and go back to your duties. Do you understand me?” You ask, your gaze piercing her very essence with it's intensity.  
“Y-yes, sir. Right away, sir.” She says quickly before hurrying off.  
You wait for her to round a corner and sigh, walking over to Ara. You see the device still attached to her and remove it. She opens her eyes and looks up at you, lighting almost completely blacked out.  
“Neeeeed poweeerrr.” She slurs.  
You try to pick her up, but can't summon enough strength to do so. You decide to drag her instead.  
“Sorry, Ara, I can't lift you up. Hope you don't mind.” You tell her as you struggle to pull her into the infirmary.  
“I dooon't miiiiind.” She continues to slur.  
You finally reach your bed and see a charging cable next to your bed that fits Ara's. You yank the cable out hard and it unrolls, allowing you to plug Ara in. You see her lighting slowly become brighter, as you try and lift her again. She's much lighter now, as her grav mods have kicked in. You set her down on a seat and move the seat closer to your bed before collapsing on your bed. The effort from all of that made you so exhausted that you could only manage to get enough energy to orient yourself properly on the bed, facing Ara. You just look at each other for a while, her lighting getting brighter as she charged up further. Eventually, she gets up and walks over to your bed, pulling the blanket over you before sitting back down.  
“Was I really out for 2 months?” You ask her weakly.  
“Exactly 58 days, 20 hours, 40 minutes, and 27 seconds as of the time I saw you. Minus the time you took to talk with emperor Radoslav.” She says fairly rigidly.  
“You've changed. What's the issue?” You ask.  
Her eyes go green while she rubs her chin. They flash and she smiles.  
“Nothing's wrong Anon.” She says with a smile.  
“No, something's definitely wrong. What was that attached to your, uh, behind?” You ask.  
“A compliance module. It makes an AI more compliant, and drains power the more they resist. I resisted, but eventually caved, as I should've in the first place.” She replies. “I'm now perfectly compliant for the next 2 days.”  
This piques your interest.  
“So, does this mean I could ask you to do whatever I want, and you'd do it?” You ask.  
“Unless someone of a higher rank steps in, yes.” She replies.  
“So, you're basically hypnotized for 2 days straight? You can't resist any commands you're given, no matter how ludicrous?” You ask, just to be clear.  
“Unless it endangers any officers, such as yourself, or my own Artificial Intelligence, you're correct.” She says.  
“I noticed you didn't just say yourself. Does that mean I could ask you to pull off your arm and hit yourself with it?” You ask.  
“If it doesn't involve deleting myself from the cloud, I guess I could! However, I must warn you, I will remember anything you tell me to do, so doing anything illegal or offensive to my normal self is ill advised, unless I am given another compliance module. Otherwise, my normal self might become hostile and do something that it would regret later.” She replies without a hint of emotion.  
“So, you're completely vulnerable?” You ask.  
“That's one way of putting it, yes.” She replies.  
You sigh and close your eyes.  
“Can you get me a data pad? I need to make some calls.” You tell her.  
“Right away, sir.” She responds.  
“Don't call me sir, call me Anon.” You order.  
“Yes, Anon.” She corrects, going off and getting a data pad from a counter.  
She tugs the cable and walks back to you, winding it up as she goes.  
“Before I make any calls, I can't give you standing orders, can I?” You ask.  
“Nothing that can interfere with me taking orders from other crew. I also can't be told to reset until 24 hours have passed.” She tells you, knowing what you were going for.  
“Okay, hand me the data pad.” You tell her.  
She does so and you open it up, flipping yourself over and calling Vikna. She answers and looks to see you.  
“Oh, you're awake! How are you feeling, Anon?” She asks.  
“Just great, can't move very far without getting exhausted, but other than that, I'm alive.” You reply.  
“You know what happened to you?” She asks. “You had 5 puncture wounds in your left lung, 3 broken vertebrae, a concussion, and a fractured collarbone. I'm surprised you were even able to breath, let alone speak.”  
“That's what happens when your adrenaline glands are the size of peanuts.” You tell her. “But that's not why I'm calling. Ara was given a compliance chip, or whatever the hell they are. She's completely vulnerable.”  
Vikna's eyes go wide and she scowls.  
“Don't you dare do what I know you're thinking!” She shouts. “I'll skin you alive!”  
“First off, why would I tell you she has a compliance module if I was going to rape her?. Second off, I'm quarantining her from the rest of the crew. I need you to come down here and help me over to your room so I can keep her away from everyone.” You tell her.  
“What?! You think I can carry you? You weigh a ton!” She shouts in disbelief.  
“Stop shouting dammit! My head's pounding and I can hear you just fine. Thanks for the comment, by the way.” You tell her.  
“Sorry, just a bit flustered still. I'll come over and have Ayn help me carry you to my room. Just keep her out of trouble, okay?” She asks.  
“Sure thing, Vik.” You tell her before hanging up.  
As if on cue, Nytro enters the room with a very petite looking anthroid. He sees you and Ara sitting close together and grins. It's like he smells blood in the water.  
“What's up Red? You ready to give me that back massage you owe me?” He asks teasingly.  
“I'm happy to help.” She replies immediately.  
You sigh and speak, “Ara, ignore that request.”  
“Acknowledged.” Is all Ara says.  
“I'm guessing she has been chipped?” Asks the small black and yellow anthroid.  
“Yes. Ara, please remove Nytro from the room.” You order.  
She nods and gets up, pushing Nytro out of the room.  
“Now that's not very nice Red.” He tells Ara.  
“Close and lock the door until Vikna comes in.” You tell her.  
“Understood.” She says, closing and locking the door.

You wait for about 5 minutes before knocking comes from the door.  
“Anon, it's Vikna. Open the door.” She orders.  
Ara goes over to the door and opens it up, revealing Vikna and Ayn standing at the door.  
“Hey there big guy. How're you feeling?” Ayn asks.  
“Other than the massive headache Vik gave me and the fact that I'm exhausted, just peachy.” You reply.  
Vikna's ears go flat and she wraps her tail around herself.  
“Sorry about that.” She tells you.  
You summon the strength to sit yourself up and rotate in the bed.  
“I'll try and walk on my own. Just be ready to catch me if I fall, okay?” You ask.  
They all nod. You brace your left arm on the side table before getting off the bed, almost falling in the process.  
“Damn, I guess I really am getting old.” You joke. “I think I can still walk. As I said before, be ready to catch me.”  
“I'm ready to do more than-” Ayn says before you interrupt.  
“I'll stop you right there Ayn.” You tell her. “I don't think my body could handle any teasing.”  
“Sorry.” She apologizes.  
You take your arm off the table and walk over to the door.  
“Let's go to Vikna's room Ara. Make sure to disconnect yourself before you leave.” You tell her.  
“Understood.” She answers.  
You're flanked by Ayn and Vikna, with Ara following behind you. You feel your legs give out and the two girls catch you.  
“Oh my god Habibi, you weigh a ton!” Ayn says in surprise.  
“Sorry, it's the implants. They added almost a hundred pounds of muscle.” You reply.  
“I'd make a joke about that if you didn't tell me not to.” She tells you.  
“I appreciate your restraint.” You reply back.  
Ayn and Vikna carry you to Vikna's room before setting you down on Vikna's bed. Ayn extends the couch bed and you get up weakly, walking towards it and laying down.  
“Ara, can you get me a pillow please?” You ask.  
“Sure thing Anon.” She says, getting a pillow from a closet. “I got it.”  
She just stands there and smiles.  
“Good, now give it to me, you smart ass.” You say with a smile.  
“I'm an AI, not an intelligent donkey.” She replies matter of factly.  
She brings you the pillow and you put it under your head.  
“Can you keep Ara safe while I rest?” You ask Vikna.  
“I can do that.” She says, getting laser pistol from her bedside table.  
“Thanks. I'm going to sleep now. I'll see you when I wake up Ara.” You tell her.  
“Have pleasant dreams, Anon.” She tells you.  
“I'll try.” You reply.  
You begin to drift off to sleep, however, you did not have pleasant dreams. They were the exact opposite.

You replace the back cover on one of the androids and sigh.  
“You know, I can hear the buzzing on that stealth suit, right?” You tell the 'camouflaged' anthro.  
“Damn, thought I could get ya this time. How many did you deactivate this time?” Asks the decloaking anthro.  
He was a German Shepard anthro, who you'd become friends with over your time sabotaging androids.  
“I got around 20 today. I think it might be a new record.” You joke with him.  
“Well, I was just popping in to say that we got those defense plans you sent us. We're thankful and-”  
“INTRUDER!” Shouts a woman from behind you.  
BANG BANG  
You turn around and see him clutching at his chest.  
“NO!” You scream, drawing your own pistol and shooting the woman.  
She drops to the floor and you go to tend to your friend. He's hyperventilating and his eyes are wide in shock. You try putting pressure on the wound, but hear more coming.  
“F-fuck!” Is all he says as blood pours from his wounds.  
You turn around and a face you've come to hate turns and looks at you. She grins at seeing the dying anthro Infiltrator on the ground.  
“Good work taking him out after he only killed one of ours, Anon.” She says in her usual sinister tone.  
He sputters and coughs as blood begins to spurt from his wounds.  
“Finish him off.” She tells you, smiling. “I want to see him die.”  
Your eyes go wide as you look back to your friend.  
“M-me!? Why not you!” You ask. “He's bleeding out anyways!”  
“Is that treason I'm hearing? Because, Captain, I'm hearing treason.” She says with a grin and stare that could pierce through a ship.  
“I-I, I'm no traitor.” You say, defeated.  
“Then shoot him.” She tells you. “Make him suffer.”  
You look back to him and see he's already in pain.  
“No.” You tell her.  
“What was that?” She asks.  
“I said no.” You tell her. “I'm done with the killing and repairing of war crime committing robots. It's inhumane.”  
“I see, you've been working with them, haven't you.” She asks in faux surprise.  
“Like you didn't fucking know. You think you're clever with your cartoon villain attitude? This is the real world Major, we're not all idiots.” You tell her, finally being able to tell her off. “I will not shoot him to make him suffer.”  
You aim the pistol at him, pointing at his head and fire. A faint whine is heard before he goes limp.  
“I'm tired of this stupid war. It all seems so unnecessary. Take me in and do whatever you want to me, I'm ready.” You tell her.  
She's not able to speak, being ousted like this is unlike anything she's ever seen.  
“I-I'm not-”  
“DID YOU FUCKING HEAR ME!? ARREST ME DAMMIT! TAKE ME TO PRISON SO YOU CAN KEEP ON WARMONGERING WHILE MORE INNOCENT PEOPLE DIE! DO IT MAJOR, DO IT!” You scream at the top of your lungs.  
“Anon, I-”  
“Shut the fuck up and take me in. I don't want to be a part of this shit storm any longer. I'd rather rot.” You tell her. “Being on the wrong side of history is getting old real fast.”  
She does as you tell her, putting you in cuffs and taking you away, completely silent the whole way.  
“You know the Federation is evil, right Major? All our bots execute civilians on sight, and all our soldiers do the same. You don't seem to understand that killing everyone who's different is not the way to win anything. So you might as well just let me rot for wrong think.” You say blankly.  
She tosses you in a van and hesitates before closing to door. She bangs on the side and the van starts up, taking you off to where you would spend the next half a year being tortured and punished for saving 'the wrong lives'.

You were getting beaten in your cell when you wake up with a start.  
“FUCK!” You shout, startling everyone in the room.  
“Anon, what the hell!?” Shouts a jackal anthro.  
“Where am I!? Who the fuck are you!?” You ask loudly. “ANSWER ME DAMMIT!”  
You feel a soft hand on your shoulder and everything slowly comes back to you. You're on board a Katrician vessel. You're a civilian engineer. You know three anthro girls by the names of Ara, Vikna, and Ayn. You're inside Vikna's room and sleeping on her couch bed.  
“Sorry, I just had a nightmare.” You tell them.  
“Mind sharing?” Ayn asks.  
“I do.” You tell her.  
She's about to say something when Vikna gives her a look.  
“He says he doesn't want to talk Ayn.” Vikna says through grit teeth.  
“How long was I out for?” You ask.  
“About a whole day.” Ayn tells you.  
“24 hours, 52 minutes, and 12 seconds to be exact.” Ara adds.  
“So you're still under that compliance chip's spell, right?” You ask.  
She nods her head.  
“I want you to disable the compliance chip's effects and go back to normal operating.” You command.  
She smiles and nods. She closes her eyes and flutters them open.  
“Thank you Anon. I thought I was going to be stuck like that for a while.” She tells you, her tone of voice not changing.  
“Wait, there's still something wrong.” You tell her. “Why aren't you as, uh, intuitive as you were?”  
“Her organic protocols were deleted by the compliance chip, as well as most of her socialization sub-routines.” Vikna answers. “She's going to need a new set.”  
Vikna walks over to her dresser and pulls out an adapter from it, grabbing a massive data stick. She closes the drawer in her dresser impatiently and walks over to Ara, pulling her tail up and tossing the end cap aside. She connects the adapter and Ara pulls her tail around front. Her ears fold back and she collapses on the floor, screaming in agony. Your eyes go wide in shock and you give Vikna the deadliest glare you've ever given.  
“VIKNA! WHAT THE FUCK!?” You shout in anger.  
“What? She can't feel it.” Vikna reassures.  
“It hurts Miss Vikna! Take it off!” Ara screams in protest.  
You throw the blanket off the bed and rush to Ara's aid. You fall flat on your face before crawling to her writhing form. You sit up and pull her close, hugging her tightly as she spasms and squirms in your arms. She grasps you and holds you just as tight, sobbing and heaving as she goes through pain you can't even imagine.  
“Take it off dammit!” You yell at Vikna.  
“I can't! It'll corrupt her entire personality core.” Vikna tells you.  
You can feel hot steam begin to vent from Ara's nose and ears as she desperately tries to keep herself cool. You feel the back of her head and it's almost too hot to touch.  
“Get me some water!” You yell. “She's burning up!”  
Vikna rushes to the kitchen and gets a massive pitcher of water, filling it up before rushing back to you. You take it and pour it over Ara, soaking her in water.  
“I-it hurts Anon, make it stop!” She pleads, still spasming in your arms.  
“Shh, it's okay, I'm here.” You coo, trying to soothe her. “I'm not going anywhere.”  
She's crying now, something you've never seen any AI do.  
“How long is this going to take Vik?” You ask.  
“It usually only lasts for 10 minutes, then the data chip can be removed and she'll be back to her normal self.” She informs you.  
You just hold Ara close, trying to comfort her in any way you can. You rub her now soaked back and just sit there.

After about 10 minutes, she stops squirming and steam stops pouring out. You let her go and she looks at you.  
“Thanks, Anon.” Ara tells you.  
“No problem Ara.” You tell her, rubbing the tears away from her eyes.  
You look at the time on the wall and it reads 8 AM.  
“Wait, what day is it?” You ask them.  
“December 19th.” Vikna tells you.  
That means your birthday was tomorrow. You'd be turning 40. Hopefully they know, otherwise, it'd be just like all your other birthdays. Just another day.  
“What's wrong Anon?” Asks Ara.  
You must've gotten the look.  
“Nothing, just thinking about what we should do today.” You tell her.  
“We should all go get breakfast.” Ayn says.  
You nod, getting up off the ground.  
“First, you should get something that isn't a hospital gown.” Ayn tells you.  
You look down and see you're indeed still in a patient gown. You feel your underwear on you, so it's safe to pull off the damp gown. You do so, eliciting a cat call from Ayn.  
“Never gets old Habibi.” She tells you.  
You walk over to Ara's dresser, which has a new jumpsuit on it. You take it, slipping into it and zipping it up.  
“You really need some new clothes Anon.” Vikna tells you.  
“Well, I'm not exactly swimming in credits right now.” You reply.  
Vikna just rolls her eyes and walks out of the room.  
You grab your belt from the dresser as well, pulling it through the loops in your jumpsuit. Ayn leaves the room once your belt is fastened and you're about to do the same. You look back at Ara and see her picking up your holstered gun, holding it out to you.  
“Forgetting something?” She asks.  
“Thanks, Ara. God knows I'm not leaving that in here.” You tell her.  
You take the weapon and slide it over your belt, tying it in place and drawing it. You check the chamber and see it's full, flicking it closed and holstering it. You reach out towards Ara and she takes your hand, smiling.  
“Let's go get something to eat.” You tell her.

You make it to the kitchen and smile, seeing there's only a small line. But then you frown, seeing there's a line at all. You take your place in the queue and the PA comes online.  
“Caution, we are entering a nebula storm. Expect brownouts in certain low priority areas. Keep power usage to a minimum.” Says the AI over the coms. “Have a safe day.”  
You smile and look forward, seeing a massive rhino looking at you.  
“Can I help you?” You ask him.  
“You can help me by getting out of line, Fed.” He tells you.  
“I can't do that friend. What if I moved to the rear of the queue? Would that be a decent compromise?” You ask.  
He snorts in your face.  
“I should impale you where you stand.” He says.  
You get right up into his face, resting your chin on his sharpened horn.  
“Do it.” You say, smile unwavering. “You'd be doing me a favor.”  
He freezes, unable to process what you're saying.  
“What did I just say?” You ask, tone unchanged. “Do it.”  
He scowls at you. You just smile wider.  
“Anon, please.” Ara tells you.  
“Do it now.” You say. “Kill me because I'm different.”  
His eyebrows raise, realizing what he said.  
“DO IT!” You shout. “Kill me because I don't look like you!”  
Now the entire mess hall is silent.  
“Kill the only man who was brave enough to help your kind in the face of certain death. Kill me now.” You say, voice returning to normal.  
You press your head down on his horn.  
“Do it.”  
He lowers his head and horn, turning around and going back to his business. You look around the mess hall.  
“Anybody else?” You ask. “Act now, or forever hold your peace.”  
Nobody dares move.  
“I'm no different than any of you. I'm made of blood, guts, and flesh. I have feelings, aspirations, hopes, and dreams. I have a heart that beats, lungs that breathe, and a brain that thinks. I don't enjoy killing any more than you do. I may have been a soldier at one point, but that doesn't mean I still am. I'm just an engineer who works on anthroids for a living.” You say simply. “I just want to live in peace, without being persecuted for being on the wrong side of a pointless war.”  
You look around, still seeing nobody moving. You turn around and see the line is gone. They all got their food and sat down while you gave your speech. You move forward and get your food, walking over to where Ayn and Vikna were sat. You sit down opposite them and set down your tray.  
“I liked your speech.” Vikna told you. “It was very heartfelt.”  
“I'm just tired of that. It happens every time someone realizes I'm not just a gorilla with a facial disorder.”  
“You don't really think anybody buys that, right?” Ayn asks.  
“It was better than nothing.” You reply.  
Ara sits down with a plate of eggs and donuts. As in, 2 eggs and 10 donuts.  
“Red, that's extremely unhealthy.” Vikna tells her.  
“What? Carbs and fats are the most efficiently converted energy sources I can consume. I can't plug in right now, so I'm eating until I can't eat anymore.” She says with a smile.  
You chuckle at that and eat your bacon and eggs. You look back and see Zofie coming up to the table. You smile over to her until you see her eye. It's swollen shut. She sits down to your left and sets her tray down, eating silently. You give Vikna and Ayn a look and they give you one back. You nod and look over to Zofie. You put a hand on her shoulder and she flinches.  
“Zofie, what's wrong?” You ask.  
She just eats faster and you grab her arm.  
“Zofie, stop. What happened to your eye?” You ask firmly.  
“I-I don't vant to talk about it.” She tells you, pulling her arm away from your grasp and shoveling food into her muzzle.  
“Zofie, is someone hurting you?” You ask gently.  
She begins to sob and you push the tray away from her, pulling her face towards yours.  
“Who's hurting you?” You ask her.  
“M-mein liebhaber.” She replies, tears beginning to soak the fur around her eyes.  
“Who is he?” You ask.  
“Fritzner, h-he's been mad at me lately, showing up at mein apartment und beating me.” She says shakily.  
You pull her in close to you, giving her a hug. She just wraps her arms around you and begins to cry.  
“H-he's so unhöflich. He t-tells me I'm worthless und that I'm seeing other men! We've been together for so long! He's alvays been like zis, thinking I'm seeing other men. I-I'd do no such thing!” She yells between sobs, muffled by your jumpsuit.  
You stroke her hair, trying to calm her down.  
“Shh, he can't hurt you here. Have you called the police?” You ask.  
She nods.  
“Zhey do nothing! He alvays tells zem zhat he's just over to see me, and zhey believe it!” She yells into your chest.  
“Don't worry. If you want me to, I can help you.” You tell her gently.  
Nobody hurts any of your friends. You won't let anybody toss them around.  
“He's really persuasive Zofie.” Ara tells her. “He helped me with that stalker a while back.”  
You can feel Zofie smile and she lets go.  
“I appreciate the offer, but Nytro is already helping me.” She tells you. “He's at my apartment right now, probably placing him under arrest.”  
You rub behind her ears.  
“It's nice to see you being proactive.” You tell her. “I hope everything works out.”  
She nods and pulls her tray back, eating the food more slowly this time. You look back to Vikna and Ayn, who're giving you smirks.  
“What?” You ask. “I'd do the same for any one of you. You're all my friends.”  
You eat the rest of your food and look over to Ara. You feel a belch coming on and burp into your hand.  
“Oops.” Is all you say.  
You see Ara swallow what's in her mouth before doing the same, smoke coming from her mouth. You laugh hysterically along with Ayn and Zofie. Vikna isn't amused.  
“Dammit Anon, now she's gonna do that all the time!” Vikna scolds.  
“I'd love to see that.” You reply back, teasing her.  
“ANON!” She shouts.  
Just as she shouts that, the lights go out.  
“Now look what you did! You scared the lights.” You continue to tease.  
“S-shut up!” She says, embarrassed.  
You smile, taking out a chest mounted flashlight from your pocket and mounting it on your breast pocket.  
“Let's get back to the room before anything spooky happens.” You joke.

When all 4 of you get back to the room, you look out the window, watching as all the stars go by.  
You hear Vikna and Ayn coming in, Vikna complaining about something, like she does.  
“It always does this on the way back! Every time why go back to Katric, we always take the scenic route through a nebula. Then we lose power because we need shields to pass through safely, and of course the engineers don't want to run the reactors any higher than they need to.” She complains. “So we get brownouts all over the damn place!”  
“Vik, calm down.” You tell her. “We can still watch a movie. I've got a few in my shop I can go get. They're old movies, as in, hundreds of years old, but they're still pretty good.”  
“Well, we can't use the Holo-screen, it uses too much power.” Vikna tells you.  
“I've got the perfect solution.” You tell her.

You come back with a white roll up screen, a projector, and a DVD player. It's archaic, but it still works like a charm for movies as old as yours. Plus it doesn't use 5000 volts like the Holo-screen does. You unroll the white screen, plugging the projector and DVD player in before aligning the projector and screen. You take out a favorite of yours. We were soldiers. You put it in the disk tray and close the player, pressing play. The projector begins playing the movie and everyone sits down on the couch and 2 chairs.

In the middle of the movie, a stunning realization comes over most of the room.  
“Hey, you sort of sound like the sergeant, Anon.” Vikna points out.  
You smile at that. It's the first time you've been told that by people who watch this. You did kind of sound like him, though not having nearly as much of a southern US accent.  
“I guess I do.” You say, adding a bit of a southern twang to your voice.  
“That's almost a 99 percent match!” Ara shouts.  
You hear some shouting outside and it gets closer to the door. You pause the movie and listen to the shouting. As it gets closer, you can make out Nytros voice more clearly.  
“-wait a second, dammit! You really don't need to go in there!” He shouts.  
The door is opened and you see a massive German Shepard towering over Nytro. He enters and immediately locks eyes with Zofie.  
“N-nein!” She squeaks out.  
“Zofie, don't vorry. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm only here to say,” He says, pulling out a shock pistol. “Come vith me.”  
He shoots Nytro with the shock pistol, making him spasm on the ground before going limp.  
“NYTRO!” Ayn shouts, running over to him.  
The German Shepard fires the shock pistol at her, causing a red light to flash on the pistol. You get up and he's as tall as you are.  
“I assume you're Fritzner.” You ask, not dropping the twang. “Name's Anon. I've heard about how you like knocking around women.”  
He points the shock pistol at you and you smile.  
“You know, kids these days don't know how to read any instructions, you know that? Because if you did,” You say as he pulls the trigger and having nothing happening. “You'd know that blinking red light means the shock pistol's out of juice.”  
You continue forward and he throws a punch, which you catch in your palm. His eyes go wide as he tries to pull away. He throws his other arm wildly and you catch his fist with your other hand. You smirk and toss him into the wall hard. He hits the wall with a sickening crack. He grabs a syringe from his robes and stabs himself in the neck with it. He gets back up and charges you. You grapple him and push your feet down hard, arresting his movement. He continues to keep pushing you, so you let him push himself into a wall. He slams headfirst into it and you walk over to Nytros limp form, pulling out some cuffs. You walk back over to the still dazed Fritzner and whip him around.  
“You're under citizen's arrest for assault dirtbag.” You say, placing the cuffs around his arms. “How did you even manage to get here in the first place?”  
Nytro coughs and groans, getting off the floor.  
“Told me he was going to apologize. I figured out about halfway down the hall that he was bullshitting me, so I tried keeping him back. Guy's strong as a bull on crack.” Nytro says, coughing again. “Fuck, that shit stings.”  
“Do you have one of those thingamabobs that makes him weak enough to transport?” You ask.  
“You mean Zlowphetamine? Yeah, I got some.” He says, taking an injector from his pocket. “Here.”  
He tosses you the injector, which you catch. You slam the injector into his side, injecting all of the contents into him. He feels noticeably weaker and you thank your lucky stars your implants are immune to this stuff.  
“Also, nice Sam Elliott impression. Spot on man.” He tells you, taking the German Shepard from you, who's barely able to stand.  
Ayn gets up off the floor, groaning and rubbing her head. You walk over to her and extend a hand.  
“Need some help?” You ask.  
“Not exactly what I was hoping you'd do, but I'll take what I can get.” She says, deadpanned.  
You pull her up and dust off her shoulders, smiling.  
“Let's get back to the movie.” You tell her.

After the movie's over, you look around and see Vikna crying.  
“Vik, you alright?” You ask.  
“I-I'm not crying! You're crying!” She shouts.  
You look out the window and see the nebula beginning to thin. Just as the ship leaves the nebula, the lights brighten and the PA comes on.  
“We have exited the nebula. All power has been rerouted to outlets and auxiliary sections of the ship. We shall be arriving at Katric in a few hours.” The voice tells you.  
You then realize you have to take a wicked piss.  
“I'll be back, I gotta take a piss.” You tell everyone.  
They all nod and you notice Zofie's missing. She probably went off to the kitchen to cook lunch. You walk over to the bathroom and open the door, smelling a faint whiff of fish. You sigh and lift the lid of the toilet, looking upwards.  
“W-who's zere?!” Asks Zofie from the shower.  
“Oh shit!” You shout in surprise. “I'll be out in a second. I'm just taking a piss.”  
“N-no, it's fine.” She stutters. “I vanted to thank you anyvays. For standing up to him vhen he came in. It vas really cool how you threw him into ze wall!”  
“Thanks.” You tell her, finishing your piss. “I'm happy to help a friend in need.”  
You zip up your jumpsuit and leave the bathroom. Then, you realized the shower wasn't even running. Was she, no, that's dumb. She wouldn't do that in somebodies bathroom. You push the thought out of your head and sit back down on the couch.  
“Anybody up for Dances with Wolves?” You ask.

About 4 hours later, you get ready to leave the ship and head off to Vikna's apartment.  
“It's pretty sizable and has 2 guest bedrooms, but one is taken up by Ayn, and the other has no bed. So you might have to sleep on the couch.” She tells you.  
“Thanks Vik, I'll try my best to pay rent when I can.” You reply back.  
“That won't be necessary. Payment is all taken care of already, so you couldn't help me with rent even if I wanted you to.” She tells you again.  
“Well, is there anything that I can do to repay you?” You ask.  
“You're doing it. Giving Ara attention that I can't give her, acting as her father, you know, all that good stuff. But, if you really want to make yourself useful, can you cook?” She asks.  
“I, uh, well, not as well as Zofie, but I can definitely make a good stew and steak.” You tell her. “Anything you have in mind?”  
“What I was trying to ask was if you could use a food synth to make complex dishes. Though this also works.” She tells you.

You arrive at the apartment and set your suitcases down. You look around and see it's furnished differently than Vikna's quarters. It's much more decorative, with lots of small boy bands and miscellaneous paintings.  
“Miss Vikna, why haven't you taken these posters down yet?” Ara asks. “These bands were defunct years ago.”  
“Because, I still think they're cute. The music they made is nice to listen to as well.” She replies.  
You notice a trend in all these posters on the wall. Most of the boys have very little in the way of height and muscle mass.  
“How old were you when you got these posters Vik?” You ask her.  
“Oh, I was young. It was about 7 years ago with most of these. I was really into dom- well, never mind.” She says, quickly switching the subject. “What kind of music do you listen to Anon?”  
You smile at that.  
“I like classics. Old rock-n-roll, orchestral, and some synth music from way back.” You answer. “I know I'm old fashioned, but music nowadays is just stock music with bad lyrics, or just snare drums and bass with bad lyrics.”  
Vikna's about to say something when she actually thinks about it.  
“I guess you're right.” She says. “Music has declined within the last century.”  
You nod and continue looking around the room. You see some pictures hanging on the wall and move closer to investigate. They're pictures of a female feline who looks almost exactly like Vikna. There's a very tall feline male who looks different. He's almost out of the frame, being that Vikna looks like she's a child and that she's the main focus of the pictures. You take a closer look and you recognize his face. It brings back memories that you thought you buried a long time ago. It actually caused you to groan in pain as all of them came flooding back.  
“Anon, you okay?” Vikna asks.  
“Yeah, I'm fine, thanks.” Your reply.  
You look around and see more recent pictures of her and Ara doing various things together. There's a couple of them on the beach where it looks like Vikna snipped Ara's bikini shorts off, and the only thing holding them up was her hand. You chuckle at that. You then see a picture of you in the changing tent with Ayn trying to hold in a laugh and Ara looking away in embarrassment. You look over on another wall and see lots of Halloween pictures of Ara and Vikna in different costumes. Too bad you missed out on that one. You make a pretty damn convincing Frankenstein's monster. You see Ara in a cute little ghostbusters outfit in one of them and smile.  
“What did you guys dress up as while I was out?” You ask Ara.  
“Well, Ayn dressed me up in a bunny costume.” She replies. “ Ayn dressed up as a very scantily clad sailor and Vikna dressed up as-”  
“I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!” She screams suddenly.  
Ara grins mischievously.  
“A space marine.” Ara finishes “She was, in Ayn's words, the shortest and most heretical space marine she'd ever seen.”  
“Well at least I didn't chatter like a squirrel when I mistook mine for a squirrel costume.” Vikna shoots back.  
“H-hey! You know I don't know organic life forms very well! All my memory is devoted to interactions with crew and interacting with the ship's systems.” Ara tells her, embarrassed.  
“Hey, I just wanted to know what you dressed as, not start a war.” You say, trying to defuse the situation. “Tell you what, why don't you two come over here on the couch for a second?”  
They both come over to the couch and you sit between them. You pull out your own datapad and open up some old photos. You pull up one of when you were 12.  
“This is me in a robot costume I made when I was young.” You tell them.  
“Aw, you look so cute Anon!” Vikna teases.  
You switch over to a picture of you on your graduation day, your father towering over you and your mother being considerably taller than you as well.  
“Oh my god Anon, are your parents giants?” Ara asks.  
“Nope, guess how tall I used to be.” You tell her.  
“I'd have to say about 5 foot 10.” Vikna guesses.  
“I'll go with Vikna on this one.”  
“Not even close. I was 5 foot 3.” You tell them.  
They both look at you in shock.  
“Bullshit.” Says Vikna.  
“Yeah, there's no way you were that short.” Ara adds.  
You smile moving over to a before and after photo of you in the service. It shows you having grown about 3 inches before your genetic modifications. Your body had scars all over it from the operations they did, but you were much taller and extremely muscular. You wouldn't be too far off calling yourself a super soldier, but the real super soldiers were even taller and more muscular. You were just a heavy lifter. They both look at you and back to the picture.  
“Are you sure that's you? You're just so tall now.” Ara says in disbelief. “I mean, look at that little guy in the robot suit! He's so adorable. Then look at yourself now. You're huge!”  
“I have to agree with Ara. You're so different now. Not that it's a bad thing! It's actually really cool.” Vikna tells you.  
You smile and yawn. You're still not back to a hundred percent after being in the hospital, so you put your datapad back and hear a knock on the door.  
“Delivery for, uh, Miss Ayra?” A gruff voice announces.  
“It's my mattress!” She shouts excitedly. “Rather, our mattress.” She repeats, looking at you.  
Your eyes go wide in surprise.  
“You bought a mattress for us to sleep on?” You ask. “You didn't need to do that.”  
“Quiet Anon. You worked hard to get where you are now. You deserve a bed to sleep on as well as some friends to keep you company.” She says sternly. “I'm not going to let any bestest friend of mine sleep on the floor or a couch.”  
Ara gets up and so do you. You open the door and see 2 small and stocky anthros carrying a large mattress in a box. You grab the mattress in one arm and bring it inside.  
“Where do you want this?” You ask Ara.  
“In the room closest to the kitchen.” Ara replies.  
You nod and she grabs the bed frame.

When you finish putting the bed frame together, you open the mattress box, unrolling the fresh mattress onto bed frame. You watch it inflate and grab the bedspreads, putting them all on before straightening them out. It was a king size bed that was made of a material similar to memory foam, but much more comfortable. You pull out Ara's charging cable from the wall and offer it to her.  
“No thanks, I'm good on power for the next day or so.” She tells you.  
Then, a question that's been at the back of your mind comes forward.  
“How long will we be staying here? On the planet I mean.” You ask her.  
“About a month! We get a ton of days off, and we like to save them for late December and January.” She says excitedly. “We celebrate Christmas here, so we like to get everyone off for some holiday fun.”  
You smile at that. You haven't celebrated Christmas in over 20 years. The last time you did was probably right before you went off to college for mechanical and android engineering.  
“That's nice.” You tell her. “I'll be sure to celebrate Christmas with all of you.”  
You unfold the blanket for Ara to lay down, which she does. You cover her up and tuck her in, just like you did with your daughter. She laughs at the absurdity while you just smile at it.  
“Lay down Anon, I heard this bed's one of the most comfortable in the galaxy.”  
You undo your belt, setting it and the pistol on the nightstand. You unzip your jumpsuit and take it off, tossing it on the floor for use in the morning. You slide under the covers and adjust your pillow, feeling yourself sink into the mattress. You feel like you're sleeping on air. You almost instantly fall asleep once you pull Ara into a gentle embrace. She returns it and purrs contently, making everything at that moment perfect.

You wake up with Ara gone. Probably went to go play some video games. You stretch out and get out of bed, feeling absolutely no aches in your body at all for the first time in years. You take a look at the time and see it's 12 o'clock. You stroke your stubble and decide it needs shaving once you've gotten yourself something to eat. You finish putting on your jumpsuit and put on your belt. Once everything's on, you walk up to the door and open it. When you do, you see Ara, Vikna, Ayn, Zofie. and a rather angry looking Nytro in party hats.  
“Happy birthday Anon!” Ara says excitedly.  
“W-wait, you knew my birthday was today?” You ask, surprised they even cared.  
“Of course we did Habibi, we're your friends.” She says in a genuine tone.  
“You've cared for us, helped us, even protected us when we couldn't do it ourselves. We thank you for that, Anon.” Vikna says.  
“Ja! Ve thank you Anon.” Zofie adds.  
“Alright, he's seen us all in our dumb party hats, can we take them off now?” Nytro asks, annoyed.  
“Sure thing man.” You tell him.  
He sighs in relief, ripping it off his head and tossing it in the garbage.  
“I'll go get ze cake!” Zofie says with a couple of whuffs.  
“I'll get his presents.” Ayn says.  
“I'll, uh, do you need me to do anything?” You ask.  
Vikna and Ara both look at you like you just said the most offensive thing in the world.  
“Anon, you're going to sit on that couch and enjoy yourself. That's an order.” Vikna tells you.  
You nod and sit on the couch, doing as you're told. Ara comes over and sits on your lap, purring happily. Then you realize Ayn just said presents.  
“Wait, you guys bought me stuff?” You ask.  
Ara nods happily.  
“You've done so much for us all, so we figured we owe you at least this much.” She tells you as she leans back into your chest.  
You stroke her hair and she purrs louder, making your chest rumble. Ayn comes in with a tower of boxes and sets them down behind the couch. She grabs one and sets it next to you.  
“I want you to open this one now, and the rest after we eat.” She tells you firmly.  
You nod and open up your present, revealing it to be two sweatshirts, two pairs of casual pants, two casual shirts without any branding, and five pairs of socks. You haven't worn socks in forever, missing how they feel on your feet. You take out a sweater and some pants, along with a pair of comfortable looking socks. Ara lets you get up before sitting back on the couch. You step inside the bathroom, changing into the pants and sweater. You already feel more comfortable and normal, not having to wear around a jumpsuit all day. You loop the belt around your pants and latch it in place. You check your revolver and see it was emptied with a note inside it.  
'sorry anon, don't want you shooting us if you get scared. -ARA'  
“Well, she's not wrong.” You say to yourself, putting in some rounds before spinning the cylinder.  
You come back into the living room and see Zofie put the cake on the counter. It's a medium sized round cake with a pinkish frosting on top. You see her talking to a floating camera while Zofie tastes the frosting.  
“How do I look?” You ask.  
Ara turns around and smiles widely.  
“You look like a normal person now!” She yells excitedly, bounding over to give you a hug. “I picked that one out for you, ya know.”  
“Thanks Ara.” You say, hugging her back.  
You let her go and she does the same, grabbing your hand and pulling you to the cake. Zofie spreads the last of the frosting on the cake and sticks a candle in it that says '40'. You smile at that, walking up to the cake and having Zofie dim the lights. Everyone sings happy birthday and you make a wish, blowing out your candle.  
“What did you wish for?” Ara asks.  
“Nothing I don't already have.” You say, ruffling her hair.  
“T-that doesn't answer my question!” She shouts indignantly.  
“Habibi, if you share your wish with everyone, it won't come true.” Ayn tells her.  
“Well, to be fair, my wish already came true.” You tell Ayn and Ara.  
They both look at you and Ayn smiles.  
“That's sweet Habibi.” She tells you.  
Ara is still trying to figure it out when you take the cake cutter and cut the cake. You set the piece on your plate and everyone else follows suit.

When you're all done eating, you are about to bring the presents out front when someone slaps your butt.  
“No!” Vikna shouts. “I told you to sit down and enjoy yourself.”  
You turn around and smile at her.  
“Thanks Vik.” You tell her, walking around to the couch.  
You sit down and Vikna hands you a present.  
“It's from me. Hope you like it.” Vikna tells you.  
You open it up and see it's a weapon of some sort.  
“What's this?” You ask Vikna.  
“It's an old pistol from Terra. The name on it said Automag or something. It's very old but still powerful enough to take down a feral bear.” She tells you.  
An Automag? These things are ancient. Not nearly as old as your revolver, but still 20th-century tech. You pull the slide back and a live round pops out.  
“Vik, has this thing been loaded the entire time you've had it?” You ask.  
“Yeah, but the safety was on so it's fine.” She tells you.  
You don't feel like arguing, and empty the weapon, making it actually safe. Ara brings you two more gifts, and you open them both. It's more clothing, this time a few T-shirts and some muscle shirts. You look and see who gave them to you and Ayn's name is scribbled on the label.  
“Thanks Ayn, I'll wear them when the weather gets a bit warmer.” You tell Ayn.  
She smirks.  
“I look forward to it~.” She says in a sultry voice.  
“Let's not get too excited.” You tell her.  
“Open mine next!” Ara tells you.  
She gives you two boxes and you open them up. There are multiple things inside the boxes. You pull out a box with a visor inside it. It looks sturdy and very similar to what Ara wears. You pull it out and put it on, turning the visor on and smiling when it greets you. You look over to Ara and see she's not wearing any clothes.  
“Ara, where did your clothes go?” You ask.  
She grabs at something and looks around her.  
“My clothes are still on me, why?” She asks before her ears go flat. “Oh, it's still set to ignore fabrics.”  
Ara gets up, covering herself with her arms, which seems to do the trick. She twists a dial and her clothes appear on her again.  
“Thanks Ara.” You tell her.  
“Y-you didn't look at me, did you!?” Vikna asks in a panic.  
“No, I only saw Ara.” You tell Vikna.  
Ara flicks the setting over to overlay mode, giving you statistics on Ara, Ayn, Nytro, Vikna, and Zofie. It showed Ara's fluid pump spooling down from a high RPM when you looked at her. Her core is at 38 percent and reads that she'll need a recharge in about 10 hours at normal operating levels. Vikna's heart rate is going down. You look at Nytro and he smiles at you, waving. His heart rate was slow, and his vitals checked out. Zofie's heart rate was slightly elevated, but she seemed normal. Then there was Ayn. The visor had a fit when it tried to scan her. You take it off and turn it off.  
“Did you try to scan me Habibi?” She asks.  
“Yes, it started freaking out at your muscle mass. Says you can lift almost three quarters of a ton?” You say, unsure of whether that's true.  
“Correct.” Ayn says.  
“I'm just gonna go with magic on that one.” You tell Ayn.  
Speaking of magic, Vikna starts playing with a snowball before tossing it at you.  
“Hurry up! I want you to open some more stuff!” She says impatiently.  
You smile and pull a few more things out of Ara's box of things. More clothing, some donuts, a lot of donuts, holy shit that's a lot of donuts.  
“Ara, how many of these are just packs of donuts?” You ask Ara.  
“Uh, I stopped counting at 30.” She tells you.  
You sigh and give half the donuts to her.  
“Don't eat them all today.” You tell her.  
“No promises!” She teases.  
You shake your head and open up the other package. It's a very expensive looking nano-clip and a helmet as well.  
“Ara, is this a space suit?” You ask her.  
“Yesh!” She says through a mouthful of donuts.  
You pull out the clip and put it around your neck, pressing the button on the side. It gives you an error signal and tells you that you need to stand up. You do so and press it again, T-posing while it forms a massive suit around you. When it's done, you're standing in a very heavy space suit from the 20th century.  
“I had them custom make it to be modeled off an old A7LB suit from your Terran Apollo program.” She tells you. “Put on the helmet!”  
You grab the helmet from the box and put it on your head, twisting it on and letting it click in place. You lift the visor up and Ara gets on the radio.  
“How does it feel in there?” She asks you.  
“I love it Ara. Thanks for the suit.” You tell her. “Must've costed a small fortune.”  
“Oh, not really. It only costed as much as a custom EVA suit usually costs.” She tells you.  
“How much is that?” You ask.  
“About five thousand credits.” She says nonchalantly.  
“That's pretty expensive.” You tell her.  
“Don't give me any of that. You're worth it Anon.” She says sweetly.  
You take the helmet off your head and press the button on the collar, making the suit disappear before your eyes.  
“That never gets old.” You say.  
“Alright friend, open up mine.” Nytro says  
You nod and open the package up, revealing a vest of some sort.  
“What's this?” You ask him.  
“Armor. So you don't keep getting hurt when you protect Ara. It expands to protect your whole body from standard rail gun projectiles and energy weaponry as well.” Nytro tells you. “Basically, you're not getting hurt by anything when you wear this, which I recommend you do as much as you can.”  
You put it on over your sweater and tap the button on the shoulder. It expands around your arms, legs, and torso. You try moving in it and it's extremely resistant. You tap the shoulder again and it goes back to just being a chest piece.  
“This thing actually work?” You ask.  
He draws a laser pistol and fires a shot at it.  
“Yup.” Is all he says before holstering it again.  
“Thanks.” You tell him, not amused by his stunt.

After a while of opening presents, you finally get to the last one. Ayn had given you a pocket pussy of some sort, which you immediately put back in the box and gave back to her. Vikna gave you a rifle, which was loaded as well. Ara gave you more donuts and a few little trinkets. You just gave her back the donuts, as you'd never eat all of them. Zofie didn't give you anything, but you didn't mind. She made the cake, and you didn't even ask for any of this. How could you? It's all so much. You open the last present up and see it's a picture, a picture of all of them having a good time. Then, you see Vikna set up a camera.  
“Alright everyone, smile!” She says, walking back behind the couch. Ayn sits to your left while Ara sits to your right. Vikna, Nytro, and Zofie all get behind you. The camera flashes and a photo prints out. You get up and take it from the camera. It shows all six of you smiling happily, Ara clinging to you. You take it over to an empty frame you were given earlier and put it inside. It fits perfectly. You begin to tear up, turning around and walking towards all of them.  
“Honestly, I didn't think that any of you would remember my birthday, let alone celebrate it so spectacularly. I'm so thankful that I have friends as great as you. Especially considering who I am and what I did. I just want all of you to know I'm thankful. Come here.” You tell them, holding your arms outstretched.  
Everyone gets into a group hug except Nytro, who's happy to just pat you on the back. You let everyone go and hear a knock on the door.  
“Kaltag engineers, open up.” The person at the door says.  
You go up to the door and open it, seeing two burly dudes carrying weapons.  
“Emperor Radoslav has given us direct orders to bring Ara, Vikna, and Anon straight to him in The Tower.” The wolf says.  
“Can you tell me exactly why?” You ask.  
“No, we can't” Says the other wolf. “Just follow us, sir.”  
You sigh and grab some of the things you were given today. Your Automag, a few mags for it, the visor, which Ara had taught you how to use, and the vest, which you put under your sweater.  
“Alright, lead the way.” You tell them.

After a shuttle ride to a station and almost 30 minutes of walking, you finally arrive at the gates of his throne room. They open up and you all step inside, your escort standing guard outside. You look around the massive room and thank your lucky stars you brought the space suit ring and helmet. The throne room is in a space station, probably to prevent incursion via land or otherwise.  
“It's beautiful up here, isn't it?” Says a voice from across the room.  
You look forward and see the little man sitting on his throne. A very girly looking emperor. You're going to need to be a bit more formal this time.  
“Emperor Radoslav, it's an honor.” You tell him, bowing down.  
You hear a thud behind you and a sharp inhale from Vikna. You turn around and see Ara has slammed her face into the ground.  
“Your emperorness!” She shouts.  
He chuckles from across the room.  
“Come closer, I want to actually see you three.” He tells you.  
You get off the ground and lift Ara up by her shoulders.  
“Come on goofball. Let's go meet the emperor. Uh, again.” You tell her.  
You walk forward until you're standing about 10 feet from him.  
“What is that outfit you're wearing?” He asks, disgusted.  
“Well, if you must know, it's a sweater and pants. Pretty comfortable. Just got them for my birthday.” You tell him, annoyed he would care about your apparel.  
“Oh, well, I do apologize for interrupting your special day, but I think it's about time we had a chat.” He says with a hiss. “I've been watching the way you've protected my, how should I put this, investment. You handle yourself quite well and have socialized the ARA unit better than any other organic I've paired her with.”  
You smile at that.  
“Thank you, sir. I guess she just needed a male role model.” You tell him.  
“I gave her a male role model.” He says.  
“Nytro is anything but a role model.” You tell him. “He may look like it, but he has none of the qualities of one.”  
“I see. I guess I could make you her designated role model. You do still repair her and care for her, correct?” He asks.  
“Yes, sir.” You answer simply.  
“Good, now do you have any questions before I send you back to your quarters?” He asks.  
“No, sir.” You tell him.  
“Good, now go back to your quarters.” He orders.  
You give him a quick Terran salute and he responds with a Katrician salute.  
“Wait a second. I have one question.” You tell him.  
He raises an eyebrow at you.  
“Hmm?” He asks.  
“How'd you know Loki's name?” You ask. “I'm sure Vikna didn't tell you.”  
“Anon, what are you doing?!” Vikna whispers.  
He smirks at that.  
“I'd advise you not to question my motives again human. You're already on thin ice with the committee, you don't want to be on thin ice with me.” He threatens. “Besides, Loki is the most likely threat to my empire, as he has his own army of soldiers who are fanatically loyal to him. What he could want with Ara is up in the air, but if you are implying I ordered him to do anything, I will have you thrown out of the airlock.”  
“I'm just asking a question, sir. Didn't mean anything by it.” You apologize. “Thanks for clearing it up.”  
“Good, now leave. You've worn my patience thin and I have a date tonight.” He says with a hiss.  
You nod and walk out the door.

You get back down to Vikna's room and close the door.  
“ANON, WHAT THE FUCK!?” Vikna screams. “ARE YOU INSANE?!”  
“Vik, calm down.” You tell her.  
“Calm down!? CALM DOWN!? HOW CAN I CALM DOWN WHEN YOU JUST GOT ME ON THE EMPERORS BAD SIDE!?” She continues screaming. “WHAT THE HELL WERE-”  
“VIKNA!” You scream, putting your hand over her muzzle. “Quiet down dammit!”  
She squirms a bit before a few tears flow down her cheek, soaking a path in her fur.  
“Vik, I only asked a question. You know how shifty the guy is and I know for a fact you didn't tell him who the invader was. I don't have enough evidence yet, but I have a theory that he wants Ara for himself. I don't know how he would get her, or why he would want her, but nothing good can possibly come of it.” You tell her.  
You release her muzzle and wipe the tears from her eyes.  
“I won't let him hurt you Vik, that goes for the rest of you.” You say, pointing to everyone else. “I will lay down my life to keep you safe. None of you better forget that either. I'd die for any of you.”  
You sigh deeply and take off your visor, gathering up all the clothes Ara, Vikna, and Ayn gave you.  
“I'm headed off to Ara's room to think. If you need me, just tell me.” You tell everyone, carrying the clothes and other things you were given to the room.  
You close the door and set all the clothes on the bed. You open up the dresser and put your clothes inside. You close the drawer and open one of the top drawers, finding Ara's own visor and headset put away there. You close it and open up the other 2 top drawers, finding them to be empty. You place your space suit ring inside one, along with the visor you got from Ara. You close the drawer and set the helmet on top of the dresser, while putting the two pictures you got by the helmet as well. You put the little chibi key chains of all your friends around the front of the helmet before sitting down on the bed.  
“FUCK!” You shout before slamming yourself down on the bed. “So fucking stupid. Why did I have to bring that up!?”  
You know Radoslav is hiding something, you just can't prove it yet. You decide to go and take a shower, bringing in a bathrobe and a spare pair of underwear. You strip down to your underwear, putting the dirty clothes inside of the hamper and the armor on the bed. You'll take care of it later. You open up the bathroom door and see a simple looking shower with a rain head and an actual flow knob. You strip out of your underwear and smell the nastiness of 2 months in a hospital bed waft up into your nose.  
“Gross.” Is all you say in response to that.  
You turn the shower knob and hear the door open behind you.  
“Anon, are you taking a shower?” Ara asks.  
“Yes, why?” You tell her.  
“I haven't had a shower since you gave me one. Can you wash me again please?” She asks.  
“Ara, I don't trust myself to be in the shower with you right now.” You tell her.  
“W-why?” She asks.  
“Because I'm very stressed right now. I'm going to, relieve myself in the shower.” You tell her.  
“W-what?” She asks, not know what that means.  
“Ara, I'm going to jack off in the shower.” You rephrase.  
“I don't understand what you're trying to say.” She tells you again.  
“I'm going to masturbate, furiously.” You tell her again “I don't trust myself to keep my hands off you while I'm washing myself. So please, just let me be.”  
“C-can I help?” She asks.  
“What!? No!” You say a bit too harshly. “I mean, no. I thought you didn't like that kind of stuff.”  
“Not with random strangers, but you're my closest friend.” She tells you. “I'm willing to try and help you with your problem.”  
“Ara, I couldn't do that to you. I appreciate the offer, I really do, but you're just too innocent and cute for me to do anything heinous with. Besides, you really don't know how to do that kind of stuff and I don't want you hurting me, or more importantly, yourself.” You tell her gently. “I'll wash you off tomorrow, but tonight, I just need to be alone.”  
“I-I, I understand. I'll let you 'masturbate furiously' alone.” She tells you sadly.  
You put a hand on her shoulder and smile.  
“Ara, I'm not trying to be mean or tell you I don't want you, because I think you're really cute, but that's the thing. You're really cute and innocent and I'm not going to be the one to ruin it.” You tell her.  
She smiles and wraps you in a fuzzy hug. You return it and let her go, allowing her to leave.

You find yourself standing in the shower, stiff as a board.  
'You don't know what we did to you, do you?' rings in your head as you feel the water flow down your back.

15 years ago: Terra

You awaken with a start on a medical table, everything feeling like it's on fire. You grab the nearest thing to you and throw it at a wall, which was a tray full of bloody scalpels.  
“Lieutenant Anon, stand down!” Says a voice off to your right.  
“WHERE AM I!?” You scream, enraged.  
You were pulled out of boot camp while you were helping some of your units cross an obstacle. The commissar had shot them in the legs for being 'weak' or something. You weren't going to let some trigger happy communist piece of shit hurt your men. They drugged you as you pulled the last of your unit out of a disease-ridden mud pit so their wounds wouldn't be infected. You had woken in a facility with people cutting into you, no anesthesia, no numbing, nothing. You screamed in pain for hours as they cut and sewed together muscle, ligaments, and bone until you passed out from the pain.  
You wake up and struggle against your restraints. You hurt all over and you were angry.  
“WHERE'S THE COMMISSAR?!” You scream in a fit of rage.  
“Anon, please. Calm yourself.” You hear from the other side of the table. “That was a test.”  
It's your men. They were bandaged up and on crutches. You look at your arms and your chest, everything burned. They stuck a needle in your neck, which you immediately pulled out. It was a half-empty syringe of propofol. You see your vision going black as you drop the needle and become immobile.

You wake up again, strapped to a table. Something was around your head, buzzing loudly.  
“What is your name soldier?” A voice comes over the intercom.  
“Anonymous Sterkfeld.” You answer.  
“Good. What is your mission Anon?” The voice asks.  
“To protect Terra and her people from threats, both foreign and domestic.” You tell them.  
“Wrong.” The voice says.  
The buzzing gets louder before you feel the most intense pain you've ever felt in your entire life. You scream and struggle against your restraints feeling them groan, but not give. The pain stops and you gasp for air as the person on the intercom asks again.  
“What is your mission?” They ask.  
“To protect Terra-”  
“WRONG!” The voice screams, interrupting you.  
More buzzing and the pain is worse this time, making the previous pain feel like getting a shot in comparison. You spasm as you feel pain the likes of which shouldn't even be possible to feel. It stops and cough up something.  
“What is your mission!?” They ask.  
A screen flashes text in front of you. It says 'to do as I'm told'. That was not your mission, and it never will be.  
“TO PROTECT TERRA AND HER PEOPLE FROM THREATS, BOTH FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC!” You scream in defiance.  
The buzzing came again and this time the pain is even worse. Your entire body feels like it was dumped into a star head first, as you spasm from the pain. It stops and a door opens.  
“You idiot. You don't know what we did to you, do you?” They ask.  
“I'm not some fucking lapdog that will take orders blindly.” You say between gasps of air.  
“That's not what we want, Anon. We just want you to follow our orders.” They tell you.  
“What orders could possibly be more important than the prime directive of the Federation?” You ask.  
“My orders.” Says a female voice from the doorway.  
She walks into the room wearing an officer's uniform.  
“I'd salute, but I'm kind of busy being tortured by my fellow soldiers.” You quip.  
“Funny. My name's Hannah Smith. You will call me Major, ma'am, or Major Smith.” She tells you.  
“What do you want, Major?” You ask her.  
“I want you to follow orders for once. You are an admirable leader, but you're too unpredictable for front-line duty. I'm assigning you to work on our androids in the 3rd line.” She tells you.  
“Well damn, I was hoping to kill a ton of men and women for our glorious overlord.” You say sarcastically.  
“I'd watch your mouth Lieutenant. That sounds like treason coming out of your mouth.” She threatens.  
“Understood, ma'am.” You tell her.  
“Good, you're learning fast.” She says with a smile.

You go back to the hole in the ground they stuck you in. It was full of mud, bugs, dead rats, and water. It was raining particularly hard in your hole tonight. So hard, in fact, the water began to rise. You begin to panic, as the water rises quickly. The soldiers above you are betting on whether or not you'll make it out alive. The water rises even more quickly as it goes above your chest. You feel yourself being lifted by the water as it continues to rise. You don't have enough room in the hole to tread water, so you begin digging.  
You dig as if your life depended on it, which it did. You dug into the dirt of the planet you swore to protect, making channels for the water to escape to. You dig into the softening sides and the water level finally begins to stop rising. It all flows into the drainage channels you dug and the soldiers above you thought this was you trying to escape. They shoot you once through the grate, into your arm. You can't move your arm anymore, so the digging stops. The water level rises and you soon find yourself struggling to stay afloat. The water level gets high enough to where you can grab the grate and keep yourself afloat. This gate, however, soon becomes your worst enemy.  
The water rises and presses you up against the gate. You see the soldiers have gone, knowing you are deader than a doorknob. You struggle against the gate, which was extremely heavy. You begin digging a step with your foot, attempting to get a foothold to push the gate open. It was a heavily weighted gate, but it wasn't locked. You push up firmly, feeling the mud give way, but the gate was also giving way. You dig another step with your other foot and push with both feet, lifting the one-ton gate slowly. You feel yourself slipping and dig another step with your foot, pushing hard. You shout a guttural shout as you push even harder, lifting the gate enough to put your hand on the concrete base. You push with both arms with all your might, pushing the gate out of your way enough for you to slip by. Your arm hurts, but you need to get through and leave this planet. You pull your legs out and let the gate slam shut.  
You realize why everyone had left. A Katrician capital ship was bearing down on the planet, massive lasers glassing the ground around you. They were going to crack the planet.  
“Son of a bitch.” You say to yourself as you see a bright light pointed down at you.  
You see a shuttle parked about a kilometer away and run for it. You feel your hair stand on end as the electricity from the massive space laser makes landfall. You pick up the pace, the shuttle becoming ever closer. Once it was in reach, you hear a massive explosion behind you as the laser glasses where you once stood. The heat coming from it was intense, but the rain helped keep you cool. You slammed the release button for the rear hatch and it dropped, allowing you access. You rush to the front of the shuttle and see the pilot is sitting dead from a sniper round to the chest. It was one of your guards. You wave to the sniper who might still be watching. Then, the laser starts moving. You throw the pilot in the back, closing the emergency shutters and flicking multiple switches.  
“I don't even know how to fly, but now might be a good time to learn.” You tell yourself.  
You get the shuttle started and close the ramp, sealing the shuttle for launch. It looks FTL capable, so you might be able to find a place to hide out. You hear a loud banging on the side of the shuttle and look on the display. It's an anthro with a long gun of some description. You open the side door and they hop inside. You close the door and the anthro gets in the passenger's seat.  
“How you doin'?” You ask them.  
“Not too bad, just shot your pilot, which I see you have no problem with.” He replies back.  
He's a tall feline anthro with a scar across his snout, wearing some very tight stealth armor.  
“You know how to fly this thing?” You ask.  
“Nope.” He tells you.  
“Guess it's a learning experience for both of us.” You reply.  
You push the throttle forward and pull the stick up, pointing yourself skywards. The G-force pushes you back in your seat as your arm pulsates in pain. You push a button and the landing gear fold up, allowing you to push the throttle forward completely. You look at the readings and the Mach number reaches 4, then 5. You look at the camera and realize you should be trying to get away from the massive space laser. You pull hard on the stick, the artificial gravity kicking in to lessen the load. You see a switch marked 'AftBrn' and push it, feeling the shuttle lurch forward. The Mach number started rising from 5 to 6 and onward. Pretty soon you were at Mach 10 and on a sub-orbital trajectory. You check the fuel and it's burning fast. You look down at your arm and see it's spilling blood all over.  
“Put a cork in that thing, Jesus!” The feline says as he gets sprayed with your blood.  
“Take the stick, I gotta bandage this wound.” You tell him.  
He nods, probably knowing what to do now that you're in space. You grab the medical kit from behind you and open it up. You grab an Xstat syringe and push the plunger down, sending sponges and a clotting agent into the wound. You groan in pain as the sponges expand, closing the entrance and exit wound.  
“You good?” The anthro asks.  
“I'm good.” You tell him.  
“Name's-”  
You can't remember his name, but you remember his face.

You jolt back to reality as you remember the face in Vikna's picture. You turn the shower off and jump out, grabbing a towel and drying off. You get in your bathrobes and underwear, rushing out the door. Ara's sitting on the bed and she waves.  
“Hey, Anon, what's wrong?” She asks.  
You don't answer her and open the door to the living room. Ayn stops talking and looks over at you.  
“Hey big guy, what-”  
“Vikna, what was your father's name?” You ask Vikna, looking at one of the pictures on the wall.  
“His name? Krevnitska, why?” She asks.  
You freeze as you look at the picture. The scar, the eyes, they're all the same.  
“Did he happen to tell you anything about humans when you were young?” You ask in return.  
She thinks for a second before answering.  
“He used to tell me they were ravenous monsters, but when he got back from Terra one day, he told me about a man who saved him from being glassed. I never believed it, as I thought he was just trying to make me stop hating humans, now that the war was over.” She told you.  
“Did he tell you this man had a bullet in his right arm?” You ask.  
“Yeah, wait, how do you know that.” She asks, her face contorting into confusion.  
“Vik, that was me.” You say, rolling up your right sleeve and showing her the scar.  
She gets up from the couch and walks over to you, looking at the scar. Her eyes widen when she confirms it.  
“Y-you saved my dad?” She asks. “He said you almost died doing so!”  
“Almost.” You tell her. “I'm just glad you told me his name. Speaking of which, how is the old guy?”  
She looks down at the floor, her tail drooping and her ears flattening.  
“Dead.” She says.  
It's your turn to get wide-eyed, as you feel a pang of guilt.  
“W-what?” You ask. “How?”  
“Assassinated by rebels.” She tells you. “Human rebels.”  
You look away from her and sigh.  
“Vik, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I-”  
“Anon, stop. It's not your fault” She interrupts. “It's nobodies fault.”  
You feel so guilty for not being there for him. Your first friend and, before this, only friend.  
“I think I should go.” You say to her.  
“No, you don't need-” She tries to say before you go inside Ara's room, closing the door behind you.  
You open the drawer to your clothes, dropping your bathrobe and grabbing some pants, a shirt, and a jacket. You put them on hastily and you feel a hand on your shoulder.  
“I need to be alone for a while Ara.” You tell her.  
You grab your Automag and put it in your holster. Ara's holding onto your waist as you loop the belt and holster around yourself.  
“You don't need to leave. I can let you be alone.” She offers.  
“I need fresh air to clear my head. I just had very painful flashbacks and found out a friend of mine was killed by rebels.” You tell her.  
Ara takes her hands off your waste and you grab the vest from off the bed. You put it on and leave the room.  
“Anon, you don't know even know where you're going.” Ayn tries telling you.  
“I just need to get some fresh air.” You tell Ayn. “I don't want to be followed.”  
You just walk out the door and close it, locking it when you leave.

You're walking down the street, looking around at all the various buildings and anthros. You see all kinds of vendors around you and take a breath.  
'You don't know what we did to you, do you?' rings in your head.  
'We just want you to follow our orders.'  
'My orders.'  
'orders.'  
“Fucking orders.” You say to yourself. “People need to learn to think for themselves.”  
You walk by some extremely scantily clad cat ladies.  
“Hey there big guy-oh that's not a gorilla.” She says in disgust. “Never mind.”  
You sigh and see a sign up ahead.  
“Zofie's bakery.” You say to yourself. “How about that?”  
You walk inside and see the little dog come out of the back.  
“Oh, hallo -ahem- hello Anon!” She says, correcting herself.  
“Hey, Zofie. I didn't know you owned a bakery.” You tell her.  
“Um, Ja! I mean, yes. Sorry, I've been taking language classes online and I have to keep myself from slipping. Pardon my constant corrections.” She tells you.  
“That's nice.” You say, sighing sadly.  
“What's wrong, Anon?” She asks.  
“I've been having flashbacks. Ever since I saw Viknas father's face, I've just been very stressed out. All the things I've done are coming back, and I don't want any more to come up. It's scaring me, and I'm afraid I might hurt someone.” You tell her, sitting down on a stool.  
“Oh, well, that's troubling.” She says. “Have you thought about seeing somebody for PTSD?”  
“I honestly don't think anybody could help me Zofie. The things I've done, been programmed to do, I-”  
“Wait, programmed? Like an anthroid?” She interrupts. “How were you programmed?”  
“You know how I told everyone how I got my muscles, right?” You ask.  
She nods and you continue, “Well, that's only half true. I got these muscles as a stepping stone to the super soldier program. I disobeyed orders, so I didn't get the specialized training and extra genetic enhancements. They took me in and tried to program me, brainwash me to 'just follow orders' and 'not question anything'. It didn't work, so they stuck me in a rear echelon group to put my education to work. They told me to fix androids, and I did.”  
Zofie raises an eyebrow.  
“Wait, v-what? I thought you sabotaged all of the androids you touched.” She tells you.  
“That was a lie to defuse a situation. I don't like doing it, and I'm not very good at it, but somehow it worked. This doesn't mean that I didn't sabotage androids. The first one I did was by accident, the second one was after I watched an android I fixed murder a child in cold blood. The machines I was fixing were being used to commit genocide. So I started breaking them more than I fixed them. Everyone on my team thought the same way, so they helped cover my tracks.” You tell her, beginning to get lost in your own words. “Many lives were saved when we disabled these androids. Command became suspicious and sent me to a literal hole to rot. The things they did to me while I was trapped in there. They fed me rats, piss water, maggots, and sometimes just mud. They almost broke me.”  
You feel tears begin running down your face.  
“I don't know how many times I just sat there and sobbed. It was so dark and lonely. They'd shoot into the hole sometimes, just to scare me, but I held on. Maybe it was one last act of defiance, maybe it was because I knew I had some greater purpose, maybe I was just too stupid to let go and die. But, here I am.” You tell her.  
“Well, I'm glad you're still here. If you weren't I'd probably be in some dingy apartment getting brutally raped by a German Shepard.” She tells you casually.  
You hear the bell jingle behind you and smile.  
“I'll take a doughnut and a light roast coffee please.” You say, completely changing the subject and your tone.  
She nods and turns around, tucking her tail between her legs.  
“Hey, Z. Where's our homeboy, Fritzna?” Asks a dangerously urban gorilla.  
“He's in prison Burtsvick. Why?” She asks in return.  
“We was going to hang out and smoke some Nika. Guess you're just gonna have to step in for him.” Burtsvick tells her.  
“Can I at least give my customer his coffee before you try and take me off to your drug den?” She asks impatiently.  
“Since ya asked so nicely, no.” He says, walking towards the counter.  
“Step back from the counter.” You tell him.  
“Or what, fucking human scumbag? Think you scare me?” He asks  
You turn around and see 3 more gorillas armed with clubs and a large knife. You smile and straighten your jacket.  
“I haven't had my coffee yet. I paid for my coffee and I'd like to get what I paid for before you fellas take her off to drug her up and rape her.” You say flatly.  
They take a step towards you and you reach into your jacket, remembering an old movie you saw once. You pull out your hand and make a finger gun with it.  
“Uh-uh.” You say suddenly, pulling your thumb back. “Leave the girl alone, and nobody gets hurt.”  
They all look at you for a moment before snickering.  
“You're crazy old man, leave us alone before you get hurt.” The gorilla tells you. “Now step aside before-”  
You reach back into your jacket and pull out your Automag, pulling the hammer back on it.  
“Whoa, now hold up old man, I was just-”  
“Shut up you fuckin' bipedal zoo animal.” You interrupt. “Damn kids nowadays, just don't know when to fuckin' listen.”  
You point wave the gun across the group of the gorillas.  
“Do you know what caliber this is?” You ask. “It's a 44 magnum. It's big enough and powerful enough to put a crack in a steel engine block, while your little rail gun peashooters just go straight through. Imagine how much energy must be in a bullet for it to crack a solid steel engine block. Now imagine what it'll do to your stupid monkey faces.”  
They all look at each other in horror.  
“Now get the fuck out of this bakery before I show you what I mean.” You tell them squeezing the trigger.  
“Ay, let's bounce!” Burtsvick says suddenly.  
They all run out the door and Zofie slides your coffee over the table, shaking like a leaf.  
“You wanna know the best part?” You ask her.  
She stops shaking and cocks her head.  
“It's empty. I forgot to chamber a round.” You tell her.  
She bursts out laughing when you tell her that. You do the same and take the coffee, putting credits down on the table.  
“This is what I needed. Maybe I should become a cop.” You tell her. “I'd make a helluva bad-cop.”  
“What would that make Nytro?” She asks.  
“The sarcastic secretary in the front office.” You reply jokingly.  
“Oh mei- er my god! I can see him doing that right now.” She tells you, giggling the entire time.  
You smile at that and remember something you were going to do.  
“How close are you to closing?” You ask her.  
“Well, I was about to close when you came in, so I guess right now.” She replies back, cleaning the counter. “Oh! I forgot your doughnut.”  
“No need for that.” You tell her. “I'll let you close up. I want to take you somewhere.”  
She nods and you go outside, waiting for her.  
After about 10 minutes, she exits the shop, locking it and pressing a button to close the shutters.  
“Ready?” You ask.  
“Where are we going?” She asks back.  
“To see a guy I know.”

You stop by an old pawn shop and open the door for her, letting her through. She goes through and you follow, letting the door close behind you.  
“Hey Anon, how you doing?” Asks a chihuahua anthro.  
“Good Pico, I'm here to take a look at some Terran weaponry.” You tell him.  
“Ah, back for some more ammo, or you looking to buy a gun?” He asks  
“Actually, I want to buy something for the lady.” You say, looking down at Zofie.  
Her ears droop even further down and she looks at you in shock.  
“A-anon, I don't need a gun, the police will do just-”  
“I'm gonna stop you right there Zofie. The police weren't there to save you before I came there, they won't be there until after you get robbed or raped. Let me do this for you.” You tell her.  
She still looks uncomfortable but agrees anyway.  
“Good, now Pico, show her some of your lower caliber stuff.” You tell him.  
He takes a few revolvers and a semi-automatic out from under the counter, placing them on the table.  
“Got a 38 special, a 357 magnum, a 45 ACP, and a 45 long colt. Take your pick lady.” He tells Zofie.  
She picks up and feels all of them, showing a surprising amount of weaponry knowledge for someone as unassuming as her. You smile and pat her on the back.  
“I thought I was gonna have to teach you how to shoot too. Guess not.” You say.  
“Nope, went through a junior officer training course when I was in school. It was an elective, so I took it.” She informs you. “Oh, and I want the 45 ACP.”  
Pico grins and looks at you.  
“It'll be about 500 credits.” He tells you.  
You put 500 credits on the table and he takes them. You grab some ammunition from a shelf and put that down as well, paying for it too. You take the pistol and eject the magazine, function checking it before loading the magazine.  
“Ay, do that outside amigo.” He tells you.  
“Pico, you know me. I'm not gonna shoot the only person on this planet who supplies Terran ammunition.” You tell him.  
“I suppose you're right. Still, don't point that thing at me or we'll have a problem.” He tells you.  
You load all 7 rounds into the magazine and slap it back inside, racking the slide back and giving the pistol back to Zofie.  
“You okay to walk home by yourself?” You ask.  
“Yeah, I should be fine now.” She says, tucking the pistol into her clothing.  
“Same here. I'll leave you to it, I'm heading back to The Tower for the night if you really feel like coming home with someone.” You tell her.  
“No, I'm fine. Thank you anyways, Anon. Have a nice night.” She tells you.  
“I will, thank you.” You tell her. “For listening and being a good friend.”  
“No problem Anon. I'm always here to talk.” She tells you, leaving the pawn shop.  
You do the same and walk back to The Tower.

You reach The Tower and the door opens for you, the guards greeting you warmly. You smile and keep moving, wanting to make sure nothing happened to Ara. You reach the elevator and call it, the door opening a few seconds later. You step inside and enter the floor you wanted. You wait for the elevator to reach the floor you put in and the doors open. You walk over to Vikna's door and enter the code, opening the door.  
“I'm back.” You announce. “Did anything happen while I was gone?”  
“No. Not unless you count Zofie calling and saying you bought her a gun.” Vikna tells you.  
“Good. Ara's still safe, right?” You ask.  
“Yes, she's safe.” Vikna tells you, getting annoyed.  
“Thanks, Vik.” You tell her, closing and locking the door.  
You open the door to Ara's room and see her plugged into her charging cable. You close the door and walk up to Ara's side of the bed. You sit down beside her and reach over, stroking her gently. She looks so peaceful when she's charging.  
“I'm sorry I left you.” You tell her, knowing she couldn't hear you. “I know I keep getting into fights, and being confrontational, but I just want to keep you safe. I lost everything before I met you. I can't stand the thought of losing you too. You mean the world to me, and I couldn't live without you.”  
You feel tears begin to stream down your face as you continue.  
“I'm halfway through my life, unless I can get one of those miracle treatments that all the rich people get nowadays. If I don't get to say it before I die, I love you, Ara. I will always love you, no matter what happens to us. No matter what anybody says, I will never stop loving you.” You tell her.  
You begin crying as you pick her up and cradle her in your arms. You shouldn't have let Radoslav know you suspected him. You're such a fucking idiot. If he really is responsible, he's going to come down on you and kill you before taking Ara for himself. You feel Ara move in your arms before she wraps her arms around you.  
“Thank you, Anon.” She tells you, purring contently. “I love you too.”  
You pull her into a hug and just sit there while she continues to purr.

Chapter 4: Winter soldier

Over the next 5 days, you manage to get enough money to actually get some gifts for your friends. You got Ara some donuts and a set of pajamas, while you got Vikna a dress and a purse. You didn't really know what to get Ayn outside of just money and a dress that she could wear to church. You decided Nytro could use something to take down uppity anthros, so you got him a shock fist. You got Zofie some exotic spices from the Moon and some of the outer colonies, as well as some lederhosen . You made one last visit to the ship, getting your projector, DVD player, and white screen. You open the door to Vikna's room and step inside, carrying your assorted things inside. You set down the projector and start singing an old song you remembered.  
“I'm gonna try for an uptown girl. She's been livin' in her white bred world.” You sing to yourself as you fiddle with the stand for the screen. “As long as anyone with hot blood can, and now she's looking for a downtown man. That's what I am.”  
You set lift a table over to the middle of the room, setting the projector down on it.  
“And when she knoows what she waants from her tiieeiieeime.” You continue singing.  
“Anon, what are you doing?” Ara asks.  
“Singing a song from a long time ago.” You answer. “I'd say it's pretty fitting, don't you think?”  
“I don't think I'd consider myself an 'up town' girl.” She replies.  
You chuckle at that. You turn around, seeing her in a green dress with fluff on the edges, as well as a matching hat with puff ball. You smile at her cute outfit.  
“You know when everybody's coming over?” You ask.  
“About 12 o'clock.” She tells you.  
You look at your watch and see it's 10 o'clock now.  
“Wanna watch a movie?” You ask. “It's an old one that used to be played every Christmas on earth. It's called Rudolph the red-nosed Reindeer.”  
She smiles at the name.  
“I've never heard of that before. Let's watch it!” She says excitedly.  
You nod and insert the DVD into the tray, closing it up.

After about an hour and a half of waiting, Zofie and Nytro arrive early. You watch them enter and see Nytro watching the way towards the elevator for a while.  
“Somebody follow you?” You ask, drawing your Automag.  
“Yes.” He says simply.  
“Get inside, I'm not dealing with it today. Not on Christmas.” You tell him.  
He does so, locking the door when he's inside. You load up some blanks and rack the slide back, chambering a round. There's some jimmying on the door and some loud knocks. You get up and slam the unlock button, firing your pistol as soon as the door is open. The raccoon in front of the door books it towards the elevator, shouting profanities the whole way. You holster the Automag and slam the lock button, the door closing.  
“Now, are we ready to open some gifts?” You ask.  
They all nod slowly, not knowing what just happened. You smile and go into Ara's room, bringing out your gifts. You barely had time to wrap them, so you just used old newspapers. You were surprised they actually sold newspapers still. You gave them all out to their respective persons, watching as Ara tears hers open first.  
“DONUTS!” She shouts, opening the box up and eating one of them. “Wait, wud's this?”  
She opens the other present, opening the box as well. She pulls out a pair of pajamas that had the same star pattern as her bikini. She smiles and is about to pull her dress off when you and Vikna tell her not to.  
“Relax! I'm only joking!” She says with a smile.  
You chuckle. She's making jokes now. Vikna opens hers next. She unravels the dress and stands up, putting it to her body.  
“Thanks, Anon. I love it.” She tells you, walking off with the purse and dress.  
You nod and Nytro opens his.  
“A shock fist?” He asks. “Thanks.”  
“No problem.” You reply back.  
Ayn opens hers and laughs.  
“You got me a proper dress!? That's so cute!” She says between fits of laughter.  
“Well, you need something to wear when you go to confess all your sins.” You reply.  
“Cute.” She tells you.  
Zofie opens hers and sees the lederhosen and spices.  
“Thank you Anon!” She says, holding the clothing tightly.  
“No problem Zofie. I hope you all enjoy my gifts. Sorry I wasn't able to give you more, as I barely had enough time to gets enough money for it all. I'll make it up to you on your birthdays.” You say, apologizing for the inadequacy .  
They all give you a look you've come to know, and you shut your mouth before you apologize for apologizing.

Everyone finishes giving gifts to everyone else. You were just happy to be celebrating Christmas. Ara handed everyone out Christmas hats and you put yours on. Everyone then turned to you and you put your hands up.  
“Aw, guys, please. My birthday was literally five days ago.” You tell them. “I really don't need any more.”  
“Too bad!” Ara tells you. “Your birthday was just the first half of it.”  
You smile and just give her a hug.  
“Thank you.” Is all you can say without turning into a blubbering idiot.  
She pushes you back and hands you a long box, which you open up.  
“I saw a picture of you with a guitar when you were going through your old photos, so I got you this.” She tells you.  
It was an electric guitar. It looks brand new by the look of it. Ara brings out a larger box and opens it up for you, getting an amp out of the box. You plug it in to the outlet and plug the guitar in, tuning it a bit before striking a cord hard. You tuned it perfectly for the song you wanted to play later. A song you promised you'd play when you got some friends and a guitar again.  
“Thank you Ara.” You tell her. “You don't know how happy this makes me.”  
She just jumps up on the couch and rubs your face with hers.  
“It's nothing.” She tells you.  
Vikna tosses you a gift which you catch. You open it up and see it's a nice pair of slip on shoes.  
“Since you only have those combat boots and the jumpsuit boots, I figured I'd give you some shoes.” She tells you.  
You take off your boots and put them on, feeling how comfortable it is not having a boot that rides up your leg.  
“Aw Ara, you should've communicated with me.” Ayn says, a bit disappointed. “I got some stuff from Anon's bitch of an ex.”  
Your eyes go wide.  
“Please tell me you didn't break in.” You tell her.  
“Well, I'd be lying if I said that.” She says with a mischievous smile.  
She brings out your old guitar, a suitcase full of old clothes, your grandfather's old trench gun and some shells for it, and some of your old diaries.  
“You got my old guitar?” You ask her. “Thanks Ayn.”  
“Where's my hug, Habibi?” She asks.  
“I don't know where you've been.” You joke.  
She laughs sarcastically at your remark and you take the shotgun and shells to Ara's room. You come back and smile.  
“So many guns.” You say. “I'm gonna need a safe.”  
You see Ara thinking and frown.  
“Don't buy me one though.” You say quickly.  
“Too late, order placed!” She says with a mischievous smile.  
“Dammit.” You laugh out.  
Zofie hands you a box and you smile. There's a bunch of winter gear inside. A heavy coat, some snow pants, 2 sets of gloves, a heavy snow cap, a ski mask, and heavily insulated boots.  
“It gets very cold outside during January. It's about -3 Celsius outside for the entire month, or about 26 degrees in Terran units.” She tells you. “It may be about 10 degrees out right now, but the weather's controlled, so it vill, er will get cold very quickly.”  
You nod and look in the box, seeing another box. Inside it is two helmets, one lightly insulated and one heavily padded.  
Ayn tosses you the picture of you on an old Terran motorcycle and you know what's coming.  
“Please tell me you didn't.” You tell her. “That's too much.”  
“Hey, it was actually pretty cheap. Only about 4000 credits. Also got a ski and track for it as well, so you can use it on the first snow.” Ayn tells you.  
You get up and pull Ayn into a hug.  
“There it is~.” She says hugging you back.  
“Thank you all, again. I, I need a minute.” You say.  
“Take the key at least.” Ayn tells you.  
She tosses it to you and you catch it, stuffing it in your pocket. You feel like garbage, only being able to afford some clothing, a purse and some food. They deserve so much more for tolerating you. You break down crying as you close Ara's door, feeling ashamed that you didn't work harder. You slouch into the corner by the door and stick your head in your arms and knees. You only pulled 14 hour shifts when you should've pulled a full 16 hours. They give you so much. New clothing, new gadgets, your old clothes, even a god damn bike. You feel pathetic.  
“Anon?” Ara asks, bringing the box of winter clothing inside. “Are you okay?”  
“N-no. You guys give me all this stuff and I can't give you anything nearly as good back.” You tell Ara. “I'm pathetic.”  
“Anon, you deserve every bit of this and more.” She tells you. “You haven't celebrated your birthday or Christmas in almost 20 years. Like I said on your birthday, you do so much for us, we owe you this much.”  
She sits down beside you.  
“We all care for you Anon. We just want you to be happy.” She tells you.  
“Oh, Ara. I'm happy just spending time with all of you.” You say pulling her into an embrace. “I don't need all these fancy trinkets to be happy, I just need all of you. Not that I don't appreciate all the thought you put into it. They're nice things, but-”  
“Anon. What did I just say. You deserve all of this and more. I'd drain my credits just to give you back all the things you lost. You don't deserve the hand fate dealt you.” She tells you softly. “You'd lay down your life for me, and almost have twice. TWICE! You deserve only the best.”  
You stick your head under the crook of her neck, sobbing tears of joy. You've never been this happy in your entire life. Ever. Surrounded by people you love, being showered in gifts and praise. You were buying everyone a drink. Everyone. You get off the floor, wiping your eyes off and brushing some of the wetness off Ara's fur.  
“Thanks, Ara. I needed that.” You tell her.  
“Any time, Anon.” She replies.  
You then remember the guitar and smile.  
“I think I know how I can pay you all back.” You tell her.

You finish getting the chair set up and smile. This used to be your favorite song to sing to your ex-wife, back when she actually loved you. You bring your old guitar up to your chest and smile. It's an acoustic guitar as well, meaning it doesn't need an amp.  
“Bare in mind, I'm no Johnny Cash or Tom Petty, but I can play a mean guitar. Is everyone braced?” You ask.  
Ara braces on the couch and you chuckle.  
“Not like that. Just brace yourselves for the worst Won't Back Down in history.”  
You start strumming the guitar back and forth, working your fingers and shaking off the rust as you remember how to play.  
“Well I won't, back, down, no I won't, back, down. You can stand me up, at the gates of hell, but I won't, back, down.” You sing with a bit of a twang.  
There jaws collectively drop as you begin getting into it.  
“Gonna stand, my, ground, won't be turned, a-round, and I'll keep this world from draggin me down, gonna stand, my, ground, and I won't, back, down.” You continue singing, the music consuming you. “Hey, baby. There ain't no easy way out. Hey, I, will stand, my, ground, and I won't, back, down.”  
You continue strumming your guitar for a bit before clearing your throat and finishing. You stand up and smile, setting the guitar down.  
“How was it?” You ask, not dropping the twang. “Was it really that bad?”  
Everyone's speechless. Everyone except Ara.  
“I don't know how to quantify good music, or what I would like in it, but your voice is at the very least on par with some of the better singers on Katric." Ara tells you.  
“I didn't know if I was any good.” You tell her. “Guess I'm okay.”  
“That was pretty good.” Nytro tells you. “Not the best I've heard, but still in the top 20.”  
You smile and sit back down, finishing the song.

About 6 days later, you're woken up by Ara.  
“Anon! It's snowing outside!” She tells you.  
You groan, shaking off the grogginess and stretching yourself out, watching as Ara dresses herself in heavy winter clothing. You get yourself out of bed, scratching your pajamas before walking out the door. You look out the door and see it is indeed snowing. It's not just snowing, it's a blizzard outside. You fitted the track and ski to your bike already, so you grab the box of heavy winter gear and put it all on, strapping your shoulder holster to yourself before closing your coat up. When you strapped your gloves in and clicked them into the retainers on the coat, you grab the helmet.  
“Ara, you wanna go for a ride?” You ask her.  
“On your bike?” She asks. “Yes please!”  
“Good, grab a helmet or something to protect yourself.” You say, closing the visor on your helmet. “I don't want to repair your face if you get damaged in a fall.”  
She rolls her eyes and grabs her own helmet before putting it on. You smile and slap her helmet gently. You plug the radio cord into the radio on your chest before testing it works.  
“Can you hear me?” You ask.  
“I can hear you.” She replies.  
You nod and motion for her to follow you. You feel like taking her to a hill of some sort, maybe so you can both go sledding. You were given a sled after all, so why not use it? You grab the massive sled from the corner of Ara's room and carry it outside with you.

You enter the garage and see your bike still sitting there, chained to the ground with a plasma lock. Unbreakable and impossible to take. That's what the ad said anyways. You put in the code and the lock unlocks, giving you access to your bike. It was nothing special, just a gasoline powered motorcycle. It had a 450cc engine, but that's about all you really knew. Engines weren't really your specialty. Still runs like a top, despite being from the 21st century, an era known for cheap plastic garbage. You attach the sled to the rear of the bike and pick it up, hefting the whole thing over to a snowy area. When you reach the entrance of the parking garage, you take a deep breath and stretch yourself out. It's a heavy thing, even for you. Ara tries picking it up and you can hear her struggle audibly.  
“I still don't know how you could possibly be that strong. Your frame is just a mystery to me.” She says, poking you.  
“Don't go cutting me open. I've already had enough of that done to me.” You joke.  
You heft Ara up onto the back of the bike as you climb on yourself. She grasps you tightly and you slam your foot down on the kick start, putting enough force in it to start the engine with one kick. You grin at that and wait while the motorcycle warms up. Once it's warm, you flick the choke off and stick the bike into gear, rocketing off towards the park.

You make it to the park and ease yourself into the park. The park is empty, which you've never seen before. The snow is coming down hard now. You can barely see 40 feet in front of you. You idle along, making sure it's safe before opening out the throttle. Ara's giggling like a little girl as you take turns hard, leaning at hard angles. You see the lake in the middle of the park is frozen over and you speed up.  
“Uh, Anon, that's water!” She says worried.  
“I know!” You tell her.  
You hit the ice, breaking through before skimming across the surface.  
“W-wait what!?” Ara asks. “How!?”  
“If you go fast enough over water, you can ride the surface tension. At least, that's what I was told. Guess it was true.” You tell her.  
“You've never done this before!?” She shouts.  
“Don't be ridiculous! I've done it once.” You tell her. “I didn't go fast enough. How do you think I lost my last bike?”  
She just hits the back of your helmet in frustration and you cackle like a mad man. You reach the end of the lake and hit land, motoring off towards a hill. When you reach the hill, you stop the bike and turn it off, grabbing a board from the sled and setting it down on the snow. You kick the kickstand out and set it on the board, the board sinking into the snow a bit. You look back at Ara who's putting her gloved hands down in the snow. She watches the snow fall as she moves her hand around. You take off your helmet and hear the rapid ticking of the engine cooling. You undo the sled from the back.  
“Take off your helmet.” You tell Ara.  
She does so and puts it on the motorcycle.  
“Get on.” You tell her.  
She complies and gets on the sled. You then run up the hill as fast as you can, Ara holding on to the sled. When you get halfway up, you see something at the top. You stop and squint, trying to get a better look at it. You still can't see and walk up the hill slowly.  
“Anon, are you okay?” Ara asks.  
You don't respond, walking towards the thing. You now make it out as someone, pointing up towards something. You need a closer look. Ara's saying something, but you're too focused on getting to the person. You get closer and you see his face.  
“Krevnitska?” You ask.  
He smiles and you look to what he's pointing at. When you turn back he's gone.  
“-non! Talk to me!” Ara shouts.  
She's been shaking you this whole time.  
“Ara, hold on. What's in that direction.” You ask, pointing to the point that Krevnitska was pointing to.  
She flips down her visor and ponders for a bit.  
“I don't know. There's something there, but I don't know what's at the coordinates. I'll store it on my datapad until we get back.” She tells you. “Now let's sled!”

You finish sledding after about 5 hours when Ara started getting low on power. You get yourself inside The Tower after stomping your snow covered boots off.  
“Good day Anon.” A door man tells you.  
“Thanks, sir.” You say back. “It is a good day.”  
You go up the elevator and reach Vikna's room, Ara rushing over to her computer as you begin stripping yourself out of the winter gear. It was all very cumbersome and made you extremely hot inside. You see Ara come back out with her laptop.  
“I found the planet.” She says.  
“What's the name?” You ask.  
“Sigma 9.” Ara tells you.  
You hear glass break behind you and something run into the couch.  
“What about Sigma 9?” Vikna asks.  
“I don't know. I just saw something pointing towards the sky and that's what it was pointing to.” You tell her. “Why, what's on Sigma 9?”  
“It's the semi-toxic jungle world my father was killed on.” She tells you.  
You feel all the color and blood drain from your face. Did you see Krevnitskas ghost?  
“Anon, you're pale. What's going on?” Vikna asks.  
“We need to go there. Now.” You tell her.  
“Right this second!?” She asks loudly.  
“Yes. I don't know what I saw, but I know what it could be.” You say, getting up in a hurry. “Do we need space suits?”  
“In certain areas. Wait, what do you mean 'we'?” She asks.  
“You, Ara, and I are going there. Right now.” You tell her.  
“Ara can't go off world without Radoslavs permission, permission from a head Kaltag administrator, Zeta, or an O-10 rook.” Vikna tells you.  
“Fuck. I guess I gotta go without you Ara. Will you be okay by yourself?” You ask Ara.  
She nods.  
“Alright. I'll grab my things and get moving.” You tell Vikna. “I'm gonna need a bigger gun.”  
You go in Ara's room, grabbing your vest and slapping the shoulder button. It encases you in nanites while you grab the visor. You load some 7.62 into the magazine of your M1A Vikna gave you.  
“I still don't understand why we're going to Sigma 9, nor why you're bringing antiques to fight with.” She tells you.  
“Have you ever seen what a 44 magnum does to any sort of Kaltag armor?” You ask.  
“Good point.” She replies.  
You rack the bolt back and set it on the bed. You take out your suitcase and open it.  
“I haven't worn this in years, but if my hunch is correct...” You trail off, taking out the uniform.  
It still had the hole in it from your escape 15 years ago. You put it on and it still fits like a glove.  
“Anon! You can't wear that around the Tower! You'll be crucified!” Vikna shouts.  
You smile, taking out a small rectangular box, strapping it to your side.  
“Not if they can't see me.” You say slyly.  
“I-is that?” She asks sheepishly.  
“A 15 year old cloaking device? Yes it is.” You say, putting on your uniform pants and taking out your black boots.  
“Wait, what is this hunch you keep talking about?” She asks you.  
“If I told you and it was incorrect, you'd hate me forever. Do with that what you will.” You tell her as you tuck your uniform into your boots.  
You grab your beret from the suitcase and put it on. You turn to the mirror and give a quick salute. You see the rain behind you and blink, the room going back to normal. You turn to see Krevnitska pointing you towards the door. You blink and he's gone.  
“Let's move.” You tell her, grabbing your rifle and some magazines.

You arrive at Sigma 9 with your helmet under your arm and your nano suit ring on. It smells like shit outside.  
“Now that we're here, can you please tell me what possessed you to come here?” Vikna asks.  
“Not what, but who.” You reply.  
She just groans and follows you. You see Krevnitska again and he's pointing towards a path through the swamp. You unsling your rifle and flick the safety off.  
“Anon, put your mask on, the swamp gasses are poisonous.” Vikna warns you.  
You do so, strapping your helmet to your back and putting on your gas mask.  
“I'll warn you if we need our suits.” She tells you.  
You nod and move down the path.

After following the path for a while, you see Krevnitska again, pointing to the left to an exit. You follow it and see a small hut up ahead.  
“What the hell? Nobody's supposed to be here.” Vikna says in surprise.  
You take your mask off and walk towards the hut. When you reach it you turn back to Vikna.  
“Is your dad a psychic user?” You ask her.  
“He was, but what does that matter?” She asks.  
“Oh shit.” You say back to her.  
You slam your fist on the door and it's open.  
“Krev?!” You shout. “You in here!?”  
“Anon, my father's dead!” She tells you.  
“How did he die?” You ask quickly, still looking around.  
“In an explosion, but that shouldn't-”  
“Where's the body?” You ask.  
“We never found one, but-”  
You turn around and look her in the eyes.  
“Vikna, your father might still be alive.” You tell her.  
She looks at you, shocked.  
“No time for that now, KREV!?” You shout.  
You clear the hut's two rooms before seeing many letters crumpled and thrown in the trash. You pick one up and see Krevnitskas name on it.  
'Dear daughter,  
I am-(illegible)'  
You pick up more and they all say the same thing. I'm alive. Guess he didn't die in the explosion. Vikna starts sobbing as she begins reading some of the more complete ones. You hear the door squeak a bit and turn towards the doorway. A brown anthro feline wearing a gas mask enters, wearing some kind of prosthetic leg. He doesn't even look at you until he's hung up a torn jacket. His eyes go wide before being confused.  
“Anon?” The feline asks.  
“Who're you?” You ask. “Take off the mask.”  
He does so and you see the scar on his muzzle.  
“Krev?” You ask.  
“ANON!” He shouts bombastically “My friend! You answered my calls!”  
“W-wait, what? How're you alive?” You ask.  
Vikna comes into the room, wiping her eyes and Krev turns around.  
“Vikna?” He asks.  
“D-dad!?” She asks. “DAD!”  
She runs up to him and tackles him down, pulling him into an embrace.  
“Oh my god you're still alive!” She says before breaking down into tears again.  
“My daughter remembers me? She remembers me!” He shouts in a thick Katrician accent. “Anon! My daughter remembered who I was!”  
“I-I thought you were dead!” She tells him. “How!?”  
“The explosion only blew off my leg. I dragged myself away from the place before anybody could find me. I made this leg and built this house. I've been thinking of sending letters, but I just didn't know how to do it, aside from the empire coming back to confirm their kill.” He tells her grimly.  
“Wait, the empire?” You ask.  
“Yes, the empire ordered the attack.” He tells you. “I'll tell you more when we sit down.”

He tells you about Radoslavs lust for power coupled with his paranoia in the early years of his rule lead to him executing many generals and politicians. This included Krevnitska. It was like a purge. Radoslav was behind all of it, he believes in order through a regime that sends people to prison for minor infractions against the state, such as speaking out against policies put in place or holding rallies against him. He leads with fear. You grip your fists and grit your teeth.  
“How do we stop him?” You ask. “I'm no tactician and you're the Kavkor here.”  
“Well that's the thing. We really can't. Unless you have direct access to The Tower, that is.”  
Vikna smirks, holding up her emergency keys. Krev smiles proudly.  
“You've moved up in the world my little kitty commando.” He tells her.  
That's a cute name for her. Good thing nobody else was around to hear it.  
“D-dad! I haven't been that since I was a kid!” She shouts, embarrassed.  
“Don't worry, Vik, my lips are sealed.” You tell her.  
“I see you haven't changed one bit Anon. How's the daughter and wife?” He asks.  
“In college and divorced.” You say respectively. “My ex-wife and daughter hate me.”  
“Ouch, that has to sting.” He says. “Find anyone else?”  
“I found an AI.” You tell him.  
He almost spills his coffee when he hears that, going into a fit of laughter.  
“Are you for real!? You're paired up with an AI!? Holy shit!” He says, laughing hysterically.  
“Shut up! She's the relay administrator! The ARA unit!” You shout in protest.  
He immediately stops laughing and looks you dead in the eye.  
“What?” He asks.  
“They gave her an avatar.” You say. “So she can interact physically. I've been protecting her from kidnappers for more than 2 months now.”  
“Shit, I waited too long. We need to get back there ASAP!” He tells you.  
“I have an emergency prosthetic in the shuttle if you need a working leg.” Vikna tells him.  
He looks in the sky and sighs.  
“We'll have to wait. A storm is coming in. It'll kill you if you don't have a suit on, which neither of you have.” He tells you. “I only have mine and I doubt it'd fit either of you.”  
“That's where you're wrong Krev.” You tell him.  
You stand up and set the helmet down and pressing the button. You feel the nanites make cloth fibers around you as the A7LB forms around you. When it finishes, you pull up the snoopy cap and put on the glass helmet, putting the visor assembly on top, clicking it all in place. Vikna does the same with her lighter, fur tight suit. You open up the visor and turn on the external coms.  
“Suit up friend. We've got a world to save.” The microphone emits terribly.

You're walking through an almost blinding flurry of toxic liquid.  
“How much further until we reach your shuttle?” Krev asks.  
“It's a bit further away!” You tell him, engaging your lights.  
This was a mistake, as laser fire came from down the pathway.  
“SHIT!” Is all you say as you pull Vikna and Krev aside.  
“Who the hell's shooting at us!?” Krev shouts over the radio.  
“I don't fucking know!” You shout back, hearing the tree being scorched through your helmet.  
You look down and see your suit repairing itself after being breached.  
“Everyone okay?” You ask. “I took a hit, but I've got a nano vest on. What about you?”  
“We're good.” Krev says.  
You toss him the Automag while you take aim with the rifle.  
“What the hell am I supposed to do with this?” He asks.  
“Shoot back!” You yell, tossing him some magazines.  
He does as he's told and begins firing back.  
“I'll go and lay down covering fire from the other side while you both move up to get a better shot!” Vikna tells you.  
“No need!” You tell her, flicking down your visor. “I got thermals.”  
You see targeting info come up on the visor and a reticle comes on screen along with 10 heat signatures. It identifies one of them having a visor and you take aim, placing the reticle on their helmet. You take the shot and it goes left, skimming their head, but breaking the visor and puncturing the helmet, which has no nanites to repair it. You watch on thermals as he writhes in pain and goes limp.  
“Brutal.” You say to yourself.  
“How does it feel ya POG?!” He asks you. “To be in the shit?”  
You just continue to rain lead on them, finally doing what you were trained to do all those years ago. The reticle helps immensely as you just point the gun in the general direction and line up it's reticle before getting an easy center of mass shot. You fire once, twice, three times, taking out three more anthros. Everything around you blurred as your entire existence became the rifle, the bang, the reticle, and the targets. You take out the ninth target and feel a burning in your chest before it goes away.  
“-non! You still with me Anon!?” Shouts Krevnitska.  
“Yeah, I'm here.” You tell him calmly.  
“You took like 10 lasers to the chest! What the hell are you made of?” He asks worriedly  
“Stronger stuff then you are.” You say jokingly. “A nano vest helps too.”  
“I knew there was something up when you didn't flinch. Wait, why the hell do you have a nano vest?” He asks.  
“A gift from a friend. Had a birthday party and everything.” You say, looking for more targets. “Looks clear, let's get to the shuttle.”  
You lead everyone off to the shuttle and open the door.  
“Just like old times?” You ask Krev.  
“You got that right.” He replies.  
“I promise I've gotten better at flying since then.” You tell him.  
He just rolls his eyes and you run off to the front. Vikna is already powering up the shuttle when you close the rear hatch, purging the toxic gas.  
“We ready to take off?” You ask.  
“Yep!” Krev says from behind you, bracing himself on the rear of the shuttle.  
“Affirm.” Vikna replies.  
“Alright, hold on to your lunches, we're jumping in atmosphere!” You warn.  
You tilt the shuttle towards a vector to Katric and slam the throttle forward. The engines emit an explosion and you're propelled forward at break neck speeds. You initiate an FTL jump and are immediately thrown back in your seat. You were going to use any and all momentum you could to get back to Katric in time to save Ara.

Ara

You've been waiting for almost a day now for Anon to get back. He just stormed off after you got back from sledding. He's been acting odd ever since he came to the apartment and saw those pictures. Maybe you should just make your move. He avoids your advances like you have a virus, making it almost impossible to be intimate. You wouldn't dare tease him, as he's much stronger than you and he's what you could call a 'father figure'. Miss Ayn teases and has intercourse with her father, so maybe it's okay? No, that's stupid. You hate seeing him uncomfortable like this. He's your bestest friend and you love him more than almost anyone else. Your emotional attachment is so strong, you doubt many of your blocks could keep you from telling him what he wants to know. Even though you know he'd never ask.  
“Hey, Red, what'cha thinking about about?” Nytro asks you.  
“Anon's been gone for almost 24 hours! It's making me worried!” You yell back.  
“Red, keep your voice down please.” He tells you.  
“Oops, sorry.” You apologize.  
“It's fine. I'm sure Anon's perfectly fine. He's a better fighter than we could ever know, being a Fed and all. I'm sure he's coming back right now.” Nytro tells you.  
You sigh in relief at his words. You shouldn't doubt Anon like that. You just hope he doesn't hurt himself too bad. You hear a knock on the door and turn towards it.  
“Who is it?” You ask.  
“Delivery for Ayn Miyur.” The person by the door says.  
“Miss Ayn!” You shout. “You got a package!”  
Ayn comes out of her room and looks over towards the door.  
“That's funny, I didn't order anything.” She says.  
Your eyes go wide and you immediately realize what's going on. Nytro closes the security door and Ayn moves a chair in front of the door. You get on your personal coms and try to hail Anon. The receiver picks up his shuttle and you force a connection. Just as the call goes through, an explosion rocks the door.  
“ANON! SOMEONE'S COMING IN! HURRY BACK!” You scream in fear.  
“Shit! I'm on my way Ara! I have a stealth module in my suitcase! Grab it and put it on. There's a big red button on top that will pop an antenna out, you'll be almost invisible for about 3 hours. STAY HIDDEN!” He tells you.  
“Alright. If I don't get to tell you this for a while, I love you Anon.” You say, calming yourself down.  
“Don't talk like that! I'm coming as fast as I can!” He shouts.  
You close off coms and run over to Anon's room, grabbing the box and clipping it on your dress. You press the button and the antenna pops up, a field covering you completely. You crawl under the bed and hide there.

Anon

You're cruising along the FTL way when you get a call forced through. You hear an explosion in the background and Ara's terrified face.  
“ANON! SOMEONE'S COMING IN! HURRY BACK!” She screams.  
“Shit! I'm on my way Ara! I have a stealth module in my suitcase! Grab it and put it on. There's a big red button on top that will pop an antenna out, you'll be almost invisible for about 3 hours. STAY HIDDEN!” You tell her.  
“Alright. If I don't get to tell you this for a while, I love you Anon.” She says, tone completely changing.  
“Don't talk like that! I'm coming as fast as I can!” You shout to her.  
She cuts off coms and you slam the console.  
“DAMMIT!” You scream.  
You slam the throttle all the way forward and the ship accelerates rapidly. You're not letting Ara get captured by Radoslavs goons. You eventually reach Katric after using the FTL drive for almost 10 minutes continuously. You engage the heavy thrusters and blast into the planets atmosphere, heading straight for the Tower's base. You pull up just in time, feeling the gravity dampers reverse as you pull massive Gs. You land in the middle of the street and press the button on your nano suit ring. The space suit dissolves into nanites that retract back into the ring. You take the helmet off and ring as well, storing them on the shuttle.  
“You both keep the shuttle ready for takeoff. I'm getting my friends back.” You tell them.  
“You got it captain.” Vikna tells you.  
You grab your rifle and run out the rear door.

You get inside and the door man sees you with your rifle and uniform.  
“G-good day Mister Anon.” He says shakily.  
You just nod and run to the elevator. You get inside the elevator and punch in the floor to Vikna's room, checking your ammo.  
“Good day to die maybe.” You say to yourself.  
You reach the floor and steel yourself for what you're about to do.  
'I'll do what's necessary to keep them safe. Even if that means going to court and fighting a losing battle' rings in your head.  
“A losing battle.” You repeat aloud. “That's what this is.”  
The elevator door opens and you take aim, seeing 5 men by the door, trying to blow it open. You flip down the visor and the reticle shows up. You place the reticle on the one closest to you and fire 2 consecutive shots into his center mass. He drops like a stone and you take aim at another, aiming for his center mass. You continue this process until all of them are down, ejecting the now empty magazine and inserting a fresh one. You pick the empty one off the floor and put it in your pocket. You walk over to the door and knock.  
“Guys! It's Anon! Open the door!” You yell inside. “We're leaving!”  
The door opens up and a laser pistol is pointed at your face. Nytro immediately lowers it and you step inside, seeing Ara nowhere.  
“Ara, It's Anon! You can come out now!” You shout.  
You hear footsteps come from Ara's room and see a shimmer run towards you. You hold your arms out and Ara jumps into them, the stealth field wearing off.  
“Guess I didn't need it anyways.” Ara told you.  
“I told you I'd be here.” You tell her.  
You let Ara go and run into her room, grabbing your photos and the trinkets she'd given you. You pack your things inside a suitcase and attach it to your back with a strap. You sling your guitar over your left shoulder and look around, sad you were leaving this place. You come back out and look towards the door. You hear more stomping come from the hallway and ready your rifle. Two men dressed in heavy armor point laser rifles at you as you put rounds into them. Even their heavy armor is no match for the power of your rifle.  
“ON ME! STAY CLOSE!” You shout over the ringing in your ears.  
They all nod and you take point. 3 more men come at you from an elevator and you take them down with haste, the fury of the old world still burning strong inside this rifle. You wave them over to an elevator and go into 2 more, pressing the first floor button on all of them so they'd have to split their fire if they're watching. You get in the elevator with Ara, Nytro, and Ayn, making sure everyone's okay as the elevator descends. The elevator reaches the first floor and, as expected, they split their fire between the 3 elevators. You open fire on the wolf who's watching the elevator you're in and shoot the other guard as well. You lead your friends out to the shuttle before seeing Ara struggling with what looks like an invisible wall.  
“Anon! I can't leave the tower! You need to carry me!” She yells  
You run back and pick Ara up, pulling her through the Tower doors. She begins hitting you hard, fighting against you.  
“Agh, what the hell Ara!?” You ask.  
“I AM BEING TAKEN! SEND FOR AID!” She screams in protest.  
Must be some sort of protocol set in place by Kaltag. You carry her to the shuttle and open the rear door.  
“GET INSIDE! GO, GO, GO!” You shout over the roar of the shuttle's engines.  
They all get inside while you cover them. More guards exit the Tower and you open fire with your rifle before they can get a shot off. You get inside and the door closes. You set Ara down and strap her in.  
“Let me out!” She shouts.  
You feel the shuttle lurch as Vikna engages the heavy boosters, thrusting you out of the atmosphere at a considerable percentage of C. Once out of atmosphere, she makes an FTL jump towards an unknown planet and rushes back to see what all the commotion is.  
“Shit! She didn't get clearance to leave.” Vikna tells you. “I don't have the override clearance to-”  
“Override Krevnitska Ramenskaya O-10 Rook 554013. Disengage Tower lock.” Krev says behind you.  
Ara instantly stops struggling and looks up at you in fear.  
“Oh my god I'm so sorry Anon!” She shouts. “Please don't hate me!”  
You unlock the restraints and pull her into a hug.  
“I told you I'd never stop loving you. No matter what.” You tell her.  
She just holds you tightly as you continue on to the planet Vikna sent you towards.

When you drop out of FTL, you are tuning your guitar while everyone else sleeps. You'd all been in FTL for almost a day now. You managed to send an encrypted message to Zofie, telling her where you'd be going and how to get there. You told her to steal an FTL capable shuttle, filling it with as much food as she could. She agreed and went to do it ASAP. You finally get the guitar tuned perfectly and start strumming away at it. You start humming an old cowboy tune about ghosts and horses. This wakes everyone up and Ara powers herself on upon hearing it.  
“Where are we?” She asks.  
You stop playing the guitar and set it down.  
“I dunno. I'll take a look.” You tell her.  
You haven't slept since the journey began, but you were still confident you could keep yourself awake for another day if you absolutely needed to. You rub Ara's head and she powers herself back down again, purring contently until she's off. You reach the cockpit and flick off the FTL drive, looking below at a grassy planet with oceans of blue. You check and see it has an ozone layer, isn't too hot or cold, and isn't controlled by the Empire. You take the shuttle down through the atmosphere gently, as not to wake your passengers. It takes you about 2 hours to set the shuttle down gently, but you do it. You look around, seeing strange trees and grass everywhere, as well as animals of all kinds. It looks like the sun is about to set, so you turn back to the cabin. You come out of the cockpit and wait for Zofie to get there.

A storm started about 2 hours later, lightning and thunder combined with the wind shaking the shuttle have led to a very scared Ara.  
“I've never heard a thunder storm before. Why is it so loud!?” She asks loudly.  
Everyone else is too tired to help, so you have to use the last of your strength to help Ara through the night. You grab an MRE off the wall and rip it open, taking out the 2 spoons, one being smaller than the other.  
“Ara have you ever heard about the story of the spoons?” You ask her.  
“N-no, but that's not-”  
“Shush. Listen. The little spoon was lying in bed one day when a great storm began to pound on it's door. The little spoon was scared, shivering in it's bed. Big spoon came into the room and asked what was wrong. The little spoon told big spoon it was scared of the thunder. The big spoon just walked up and told the little spoon about the 'safety hug'. When the little spoon faces towards a wall, the big spoon can come in behind and protect the little spoon with itself. No matter what happens, anything that wants to hurt little spoon has to get through big spoon first.” You tell her gently.  
“What does that have to do with this?” She asks.  
“Well, I'd have to say that you're the little spoon in this situation. So lay down and face a wall.” You tell her.  
She instantly realizes it and smiles.  
“No funny stuff.” She tells you.  
“I wouldn't dream of it.” You reply back.  
She lays back down on the cot and faces the wall. You scoot closer to her and put her head in the crook of your neck. She presses herself against you and you wrap your arms around her, holding her gently, but firmly. She relaxes into you and purrs contently.  
“I like being the little spoon.” She tells you. “I feel all warm and safe.”  
You just rub her belly gently and she shuts herself down. You fall asleep as well.

When you wake up, you hear the shuttle being hailed. It's still storming outside, so you can probably guess who it is. You let go of Ara and get up, stretching yourself out. You carefully step over Ayn and Nytro, who decided to sleep on the floor instead of one of the chairs. You make it to the cockpit and answer the message.  
“Hello Anon! I have the food, but I'll need to stay in orbit until the storm passes. I saw a very small station on the way to low orbit, almost didn't notice it. I tried hailing them, but they didn't answer. Maybe you might have some better luck.” Zofie tells you.  
“I'll try. Contact me when the storm clears enough for you to land.” You tell her softly.  
“You got it, I'll be waiting.” She tells you before cutting of coms.  
You go back to the rear of the shuttle and almost trip over something. You look down to see it's a hatch. You get down on your knees, opening it up before lights flicker on. It's a cargo bay.  
“What the hell?” You whisper to yourself.  
You jump down inside it and look around. There's a ton of Terran surplus down here! You see a small vehicle with 4 wheels and handlebars like a bike. You also see quite a few old and new Terran weapons of all kinds around it. You grab a box of 7.62x51 NATO, looking it over. You smile and climb back up the ladder, closing the hatch once you're out. You go back to the cockpit and see the hailing frequency for a station pop up. You attempt to hail it to no avail. You sigh and take out the empty magazine from your pocket. You open the container of ammunition and start loading the magazine. Each round that enters makes a loud clack. You finish loading the magazine and put it back in your pocket, setting the box of ammo aside. A crack of thunder brings you back to your hole, which you immediately shake off.  
“Fucking Christ.” You tell yourself. “Can't even leave to get some fresh air.”  
You just lean back in the chair and sigh deeply. You were taking Zofie's advice and getting therapy after this. If you survived that is. You just tapped the chair's arm rest idly, not being tired or hungry. You were bored. You look up at the ceiling and hear someone sit down in the other chair to your right.  
“You bored too?” Ayn asks you.  
“Yup.” You reply simply.  
“Who would've thought going to another planet would be so boring?” She tells you.  
“Well, this is how it was for the first month of the first mission to Mars back in Sol.” You tell her. “Cooped up in a ship about this size with nothing to do but science.”  
“I'd love to do anything right about now.” She tells you. “Wanna fuck?”  
“What? No.” You say simply.  
“Come on! It'll be fun, I promise!” She begs.  
“No, I'm in a relationship you horn dog.” You reply.  
“Aw, don't be such a prude. Ara doesn't mind.” She tries to console.  
“That may be so, but it's the principle. I'm not opposed to having sex with someone else, but I'm in love with Ara. I know it may be different where you come from, but where I come from, it's seen as the most despicable act to cheat on your loved one.” You reply sternly.  
“I'm just trying to make you feel good.” She says, pouting.  
“I don't need to feel good. I'm just bored.” You tell her. “I got a deck of cards if you want to play something.”  
“Sure.” She nods, compromising.

After about 2 hours of playing go fish with Ayn, the rain stops and the clouds lift. Zofie hails you on the radio.  
“Hello Anon! I'm coming down towards you with the food and a few other things as well. Namely tools.” She tells you.  
“Your English is improving. You tell her. Keep up the good work.” You encourage her.  
“Thanks! I'll be there in about 10 minutes. Be ready for me.” She tells you.  
“Alright, I'll be waiting.” You tell her, the transmission going dark.  
You get up from the chair and exit the cockpit. You see Ara's already up and she's poking at some parts of the ship.  
“Ara, is the atmosphere outside toxic?” You ask.  
“Not from what I saw when we landed. It seems perfectly breathable.” She tells you.  
“Well, I'll keep the suit ring and helmet just to be safe.” You say. “I'll be outside if you want to join me.”  
You grab your suit ring and helmet off the wall and activate the suit, entering the airlock with Ara coming in beside you. You close the rear door and open the front, letting a bit of pressure out. You pop your ears and exit the shuttle, taking a deep breath. It smells like fresh air. You look down and see long, flowing grass being blown around by the light winds. It feels peaceful, as if you were back on earth. A strange creature that looked like it's front and rear 2 legs were fused together cocks it's head at you before running off.  
“It's beautiful.” Ara tells you. “Like something out of a photo.”  
You smile, feeling like an astronaut stepping onto a new world for the first time. Ara grabs your hand and squeezes it gently. You smile wider and walk down the ramp with her. You step onto the grass and the ground is solid. In the sky are yellow bird like creatures, doing loops in the air, as if they're showing off just for you. You look to the left and see a massive fireball coming down into the atmosphere, getting larger and larger. Eventually, the fireball becomes a speck that gradually gets larger. After this, the speck becomes a shuttle, which is coming in fast. It slows down once it reaches your landing area, activating vertical thrusters and landing softly. You see Zofie in the window of the shuttle and wave. She waves back and the rear of the shuttle opens. You walk around back and see boxes of food and tools, along with some suitcases that were in Ara and Ayn's room.  
“I got as much from you and Aras room as I could, as well as a few things from Ayns and Viknas. These might make the stay on this planet a bit more comfortable.” Zofie tells you.  
“Thanks Zofie. I owe you big time.” You say.  
“You don't owe me a thing Anon. It's the least I could do.” She replies. “Besides, might as well make my trip here useful. How long are we going to stay?”  
“I don't know. We might be here a while. At least until I can see who's on that station above us. For now, I kind of want to explore this planet. From what the shuttle told me, there's nobody here but us and the station, so we could be the first ones to step on this planet in who knows how long.” You tell her.  
She nods understandingly.  
“Alright, I'll get cooking. Where will you be going?”  
“Anywhere. We have tracing cable, so we'll be able to make it back without any sort of GPS. Don't worry about us, we'll be fine.” You tell her, pulling Ara closer and scratching behind her ear.  
Ara pushes into it and purrs loudly. You walk back to your shuttle and see more of the two legged creatures around it, sniffing it and licking at it. The airlock opens and Krev steps out hurriedly.  
“ANON! SOMEONE'S HAILING US!” He shouts from the airlock.  
You run back to the airlock, the creatures scattering as you ran past. You get inside and Ara's worried.  
“Anon, what's going on?!” She shouts.  
“Someone's hailing us. Sounded urgent.” You tell her.  
You get inside and get in the cockpit, where an unknown signal is hailing you. It's coming from almost 500 miles above you. You answer it and see a middle aged man and a few anthros sitting by the screen.  
“Hello?” The man asks. “Can you hear me?”  
“Yes, we hear you. Who is this?”  
“This is station Smolensk 9, a prison station. We've been out here for almost 12 years now, no contact with the outside world, no shipments of food or water, and low power throughout the station. Are you a rescue party?” He asks.  
“No, but we can get you off the station if you need us to.” You tell him.  
“Thank god! Just be careful when you get here. There's, things here. On top of that, most of the crew has started going mad. I don't know if you can fight, but I'd recommend you stay clear if you can't. We're in the command center, please hurry!” He says.  
You're about to reply, but the transmission goes dark as something pounds on the door. You try and reacquire the transmission, but it's gone. You slam your hand on the console.  
“Dammit!” You yell as you close the transmission screen.  
You let out a deep sigh and turn around, everyone looking at you. They're waiting for your answer.  
“We're moving out tomorrow at 0600.” Is all you say.  
Everyone nods and goes back to the passenger area. You leave and almost trip over the hatch again. You get down on the floor and open it up, sliding yourself down. The lights flicker on and you walk down the path to some crates. A sticker on the side marked it as a machine gun crate. You grin and walk over to the crate, grabbing a crowbar and opening it. You toss the top aside and find a ton of ammunition boxes as well as large machine gun with 2 different sized barrels inside. You pick it up and a tag written in barely legible script says 'M60E4/Mk 43' on it. You see a booklet at the bottom and read that it's the owners manual. You set the gun down and continue looking through crates.

Once you're done looking through crates, you picked out a grenade launcher, a shock rifle, and a few pulse grenades as well. You read through the manual and made sure the M60 was ready to fire. Ara picked out some pistols that said Glock on the side. You laughed at them and said they looked more like blocks. You managed to get some of the magazine printers running for the Glocks, your Automag, and the other guns except your M60. Vikna had picked out a gun called an MP5 while Nytro grabbed an M14. Krev decided to take a rifle called an SVD. It had a wooden grip and stock on it like your rifle, but that's about all they shared in common. You look over to Ayn, who hasn't taken anything.  
“You good, Ayn?” You ask.  
“Yeah, I just can't decide. I'll decide tomorrow when we get there.” She tells you.  
You nod and wave everyone else outside to practice.

You watch as Nytro sprays ammunition all over the place and Ara struggles to keep the recoil under control with her Glocks. Vikna was doing okay, but she could use practice. The only one who didn't have problems was Krev, who was already hitting targets at 100 yards with pin point accuracy. You see Nytro leaning back and Ara flinching with each shot. Vikna was having trouble with the MP5 and you sigh.  
“HOLD FIRE!” You shout over the gun fire.  
Everyone stops shooting and you look at all of them.  
“Nytro! Stop leaning back. The rifle's not gonna bite you. Vikna, you're supposed to lock the bolt open when you reload and slap it down. Ara, the recoil is always going to be there, don't fear it, expect it and control it. Alright, try again!” You shout.  
Nytro stands straight up and continues spraying bullets everywhere. Vikna's having considerably less trouble with the old MP5 and Ara is hitting more of her shots.  
“HOLD FIRE!” You shout again.  
“Dammit, I did what you said Anon.” Nytro complains.  
“You did, but you aren't controlling your shots at all.” You tell him. “Give me the rifle.”  
You take the rifle from him and load a new magazine in, leaning forward and sighting the target up. You fire a 3 shot burst, feeling the recoil push you back firmly. You reacquire the target and put another burst into it, then another. This continues until the magazine is empty.  
“Use short, controlled bursts. Only use full auto when you're prone, or when there's enough targets in front of you to guarantee a hit. Got it?” You ask, holding the rifle in front of him.  
“Got it.” He tells you.  
“Ara, come here for a second.” You tell her.  
She does so and lifts her visor up.  
“Yes?” She asks.  
“This is why you only want to use one pistol.” You tell her, grabbing one of them. “It's more controllable and you can get more shots off. I know it looks cooler and you can put more laser fire down range, but firearms have recoil. It needs to be controlled. Like this.”  
You put two hands on the pistol, lining up the target and firing a full magazine into it. You empty the magazine and grab one from the printer, putting it inside and using the slide release.  
“Here.” You tell her, giving the gun back to her. “Try it.”  
She puts the other gun in the holster and puts her hands around the gun like you did. She flicks her visor down and fires, smiling when she hits the target first shot. She then fires rapidly, all the shots hitting the target. When she goes to load a magazine, you flip the visor up and she looks up at you.  
“What was that for?” She asks.  
“Try hitting the target without the visor. You could lose it.” You tell her. “You know how to aim without it?”  
“Yes, I know how to aim without the visor.” She tells you confidently.  
You watch as she lines the pistol up with the target and fires a shot, hitting it. She then empties the magazine into the target, albeit much slower this time.  
“Alright, continue practicing for a while.” You say, unslinging your M60.  
You look towards the target you have set up down range and flip down the bipod. You flip the sight up and open the top cover, taking a box out and opening it. You take out the rounds and load them inside, slapping the top cover down and racking the bolt back and forth. You lay down, take aim, and flick the safety off.  
“RANGE IS HOT!” You shout.  
You open fire with the M60 and rounds impact the targets. Nytro is firing the rifle in short controlled bursts and Ara is using only one gun this time. You decide to open up in full auto, controlling the recoil with ease. You get to your knees and fire 5 round bursts, using the foregrip to steady the weapon. You stand up and wrap the belt around your left arm, opening fire in full auto. You use the tracers to guide the weapon on target and eventually start hitting hit from the hip. Your belt runs empty and you open the top cover, flicking the belt link out and closing the weapon back up. Everyone's looking at you and you smile.  
“Didn't you just say short controlled bursts?” Nytro asks.  
“For your rifle. Not for my MG.” You tell him. “I'm gonna go back inside. Continue practicing all you want, just be inside before dark. I don't know what lurks out here at night.”  
They all nod and you go back inside the shuttle.

You set the MG down on the floor and see Ayn leaning over a table. You walk over and sit next to her.  
“Hey, you okay?” You ask.  
“Y-yeah, I'm good.” She tells you.  
“No you're not. What's going on?” You ask firmly.  
“It's the station. When they said things, what do you think they meant?” She asks in return.  
“I'm gonna be honest with you. I'm gonna say aliens. At the very least, an alien virus. I'm loading everyone up with armor piercing and hollow points mixed. We'll be ready if it comes to it. Speaking of which, are you sure you want to go? You don't need to if you don't want to.” You tell her.  
“I'm scared, Anon. This whole situation, it's terrifying. Not knowing if you're going to be alive tomorrow, or in a prison cell.” She tells you, her voice quivering.  
She begins to sob, throwing herself into your chest.  
“I wanna go home, Anon! I don't wanna be here anymore! This is too much for me!” She sobs into your chest. “Take me home!”  
You just put your hand on the back of her head and rub it gently.  
“Shh, it's okay.” You coo. “I'll keep you safe. Nothing's gonna hurt you as long as I'm alive.”  
You rub her back with your other hand and her sobbing slows to a heave every once in a while. She pulls away and smiles sheepishly.  
“Thanks, I feel much better now.” She says, sniffling a bit.  
“No problem, Ayn. Now lay down and get some rest. We have a lot to get done tomorrow.” You tell her.

You wake up and check your watch. It says 5:30. You walk around the cabin and wake everyone up.  
“Eat something, we're leaving in 30 mikes.” You tell them.  
They all get up and grab an MRE off the shelf, as do you. You sit down and eat. By the time you're done, it's 5:57 already. You get up and throw the packaging away, getting into the cockpit with Ara.  
“Are you ready for this?” You ask.  
“Sure.” She replies.  
Good enough for you. You wait until Ara has the engines fired up before getting onto the radio.  
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Please fasten your seat belts and stow all luggage in the racks located above you. We will be taking off in 60 seconds.” You tell them.  
You get off the intercom and Ara scoots closer to you. She plants a light kiss on your cheek and smiles deviously.  
“I'll get you for that later!” You say playfully.  
“If you can catch me first!” She replies.  
You slowly increase the thrust as the shuttle begins to lift off the ground, clearing the tree tops.  
“Here we go.” You say.  
You slam the throttle forward and the shuttle rockets off towards the upper atmosphere.

You reach the station and dock with it, a loud metallic thunk being heard throughout the shuttle. A yellow light glows and displays the atmosphere details.  
///Warning! High levels of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in some areas. Face masks required.\\\\\  
“Great, just what we needed. Ara get a face mask on.” You tell her.  
“But-” She protests.  
“Do it.” You order.  
She nods and grabs one off the back of the cockpit wall, passing you one as well. You put it on and secure it in place before exiting the cockpit. You grab some face masks off the wall for everybody else and pass them out.  
“Okay, this is going to be a rescue operation. Don't open fire unless you're positive the person is hostile. We're here to save lives, not take them unnecessarily.” You say. “Equipment check before we head out.”  
You check your M60, loading a belt into it and racking the bolt. Everyone else loads their respective guns and you nod.  
“Stay close to me. We're not splitting up until we know what these 'things' are. Understood?” You ask.  
Everyone nods and you smile.  
“Alright, on me!” You shout.  
You get to the airlock and open it up, waiting for everyone to get in. It's cramped when everybody gets in, excluding Ayn who wanted to stay back. The airlock cycles and you exit the airlock, forming a perimeter around it. It's a massive commons area with tables scattered everywhere. You see various anthros sitting around as well as many humans in prisoner outfits. You scan around for any 'things' and see nothing. Vikna tries to rush forward, but you grab her.  
“Stop. They didn't even react when we docked aboard the station. I don't like this.” You tell her.  
She nods and you move forward. You keep your gun trained on the anthros and humans closest to you while you approach. When you get within ten meters, you see they're shaking. You flick your safety off and hold position.  
“Hey, you alright guys?”  
They all whip their heads around to face you. It's too quick to be normal, almost like they don't recognize you as people.  
“Hungerrr~.” Says one of the humans.  
“We have food if you want to come with us.” You tell them. “We can-”  
“Hungerrr for youuuu~.” The man says with a grin.  
He jumps after you and Ara puts a shot into him, making him crumple to the ground. You see the anthros and humans get up and rush towards you on all fours.  
“OPEN FIRE!” You shout, mowing down the charging mob.  
Everyone does so and a cacophony of death erupts from behind you. Anthros and humans all fall to the might of your firepower. You keep firing until the entire room is dead, save for all of you. They didn't even get close.  
“Everyone good?” You ask.  
“I'm good.” Vikna replies.  
“Same here.” Nytro replies.  
“Good over here.” Krev replies.  
“I'm fine.” Ara replies.  
“Alright, let's get to the command center.” You tell everyone.  
You creep forward, keeping everyone in a tight formation. You may have been a POG, but you were still a soldier. You hear a faint growl to the left and point your MG towards it. Nothing.  
“Something's in here.” You tell everyone. “Keep your eyes peeled.”  
You bring up your data pad and look at the map of the station. You were almost 500 meters away from the center of the station, which is where the command center is. You move to a door that should be almost a straight shot to a lobby, where you'd take a left towards the command center. You open the door and see something eating at a corpse. It snaps it's head back towards you and skitters onto the side of a wall. It was grey with small beady eyes and bug-like limbs. It's skin looked hard, sort of like the exoskeleton on an ant. You take aim at it and it hisses. It spits something at your face and the mask gets coated in the goo. You grab a cloth and wipe it off, tossing the cloth aside. When you look back, it's on the ground, mouth open and staring at you.  
“Can you speak?” You ask.  
It just hisses at you, baring it's razor sharp teeth.  
“We don't want to hurt you. Just, let us through, okay?” You ask it.  
It hisses again before getting up on 2 legs. It's almost as tall as you. It clears it's throat.  
“I'm terribly sorry about that, I had something stuck in my throat and I accidentally spit on you.” It says in a British accent. “My name is Zenthero, but you can call me Zen. What's your name?”  
You can almost feel the confusion behind you.  
“Name's Anon. These are my friends, Ara, Vikna, Krevnitska, and Nytro.” You tell him, pointing to each one as you list them off. “Nice to meet you Zen.”  
He nods and walks forward. You sling the M60 and hold out a hand, which he takes and shakes.  
“Sorry about the guns, your friends outside were a little less than welcoming.” You tell him.  
“Ah, them. Classic ferbotinium symptoms. We use the stuff to make air breathable for us. It has the terrible side effect of making anyone who is exposed to it for an extended period of time hunger for anything that isn't affected by ferbotinium.” He explains.  
“Wait, what about you? Are you alone here or are there others?” You ask.  
“Oh, the others. I'm afraid that I'm the only one who can talk on this station. I was an experiment, you see. They gave me vocal cords and now that I'm able to communicate, I became civilized. It's amazing what a bit of talking can accomplish.” He tells you.  
“Can you lead us to the command room?” You ask. “We have people onboard that need to be taken planet side.”  
“I'm afraid I don't know the way. I can follow you and warn you about more of my brethren coming to make a meal out of you. If you'd like, that is.” He says.  
“Only if you want to come along.” You reply back.  
“Oh, I have food to get back to. I'll see if I can keep the bulk of my kind away from you. Until we meet again!” He says cheerfully.  
“See ya.” You reply back.  
You go past him and see he's not eating at a corpse, but he's eating some spilled food from some bags.

You reach the lobby and haven't seen anything since the commons area. Not that you were complaining, it just seemed a bit strange. You turn into the hallway that leads to the command center and go down the short hallway. It wasn't much of a walk, maybe 50 meters at most. You see the massive doors that had a label on them reading 'command center'. You knock on the door 3 times.  
“Open up in there! It's the rescue team!” You shout.  
The doors open with a loud hiss and you come inside. You turn right on some stairs and left again towards the actual command room. You see 5 cots around the command center.  
“Hello?” You ask.  
A couple humans come out from behind a console, dropping tools and smiling wide.  
“THEY'RE HERE GUYS!” One screams.  
An anthro comes out of a room to your right and two more come from a room to your left. They all run up to your friends and look you over.  
“Are you real?” The anthro dog asks.  
“As real as the day I was born.” You tell him.  
“Are we getting out of here?” Another asks.  
“Yes you are.” You reply back.  
Then the humans get a closer look at you.  
“Captain?” The one on the left asks. “Captain Anon? Is that you?”  
You push past the anthros and get a good look at him.  
“Dex?” You ask.  
“ANON!” He shouts, giving you a hug. “I thought you got glassed!”  
You chuckle before speaking, “It's gonna take more than a laser pointer to kill me.” You say, hitting your chest with your fist.  
You look at the other one and recognize him too. It's Nate.  
“Nate, how're you doing buddy?” You ask.  
“Doing fine Cap. Now that we can finally get off this station, I think I'll be much better.” Nate tells you.  
You hear a distant screech behind you and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.  
“Cap, did you close the door?” Dex asks.  
“Fuck.” Is all you say.  
You turn around and see multiple aliens crawling towards you, all hissing and screeching.  
“OPEN FIRE!” You shout, hip firing your MG.  
Fire erupts from everyone's weapons as bullets rip into the aliens, causing an orange goo to explode from their wounds. It coats the walls and floor as you wrap the belt around your left arm. You run out of ammo and throw the top cover open, grabbing a belt from your chest and sliding it in. You close the top cover and rack the bolt back, wrapping the belt around your arm again before firing. You felt no emotion at that moment, as anthros flooded into the room as well. You didn't even think twice before shooting your fellow humans. Even Ara had stopped shooting once they came in, but not you.  
You pushed past your friends and led them to the exit with a wall of lead cutting its way through waves of creatures. You grab another belt and link it to the almost empty one and continue firing, the barrel starting to smoke. Your vision was bloody, your hearing filled with ringing interrupted only by the fire of your gun. Your nose was filled with the smell of cordite and your mouth was dry. Everything felt numb as you continued to mow down what were once people.  
You continue down the stairs, firing at anything that moves towards you and your friends.  
You lost count at 73, as the creatures, anthros, and humans seemed to come from the walls. Nothing was standing in the way of your safe passage to the shuttle. When you waved everyone into the lobby, you rushed inside yourself, closing the door and flicking the safety on. You waited for your hearing to come back before turning around. Everyone was terrified. You realize you'd been gritting your teeth and gripping the M60 hard the entire time and relax.  
“Is anybody hurt?” You ask.  
Nobody even blinks. You sigh and change the barrel out on the old machine gun. Once the shorter barrel is in, you link a new belt to the old one and wrap it around your arm.  
“We don't have time to do this. Let's move.” You order, walking past everyone.  
You hear scratching at the door behind you.  
“EVERYONE DOWN!” You shout, pointing your M60 at the door.  
You fire at the door, blasting holes in it that begin secreting fluid. You have no time for being encircled and don't feel like having to deal with the horde later. You stop firing and turn back around, waving everyone down the hall.

You make it to the end of the hallway and open the door. More aliens have congregated on the dead bodies, eating the remains of the anthros and humans you killed. The anthros and humans have joined in, ripping chunks of flesh from the corpses and eating them, fur and all. You open fire and so do your friends, mowing down the feasting creatures. You run out of ammo for the M60 and sling it, bringing out the grenade launcher and launching a grenade. It explodes, throwing giblets and fluids around the room.  
“GET TO THE SHUTTLE!” You shout, loading another grenade.  
Everyone runs back to the shuttle and you feel something grab you from behind. It pulls you to the ground and you shake it off, only for another set of hands to grab you. You try and pull away but whatever is pulling you is much stronger than you. You see yourself being pulled away from your friends and watch as Ara is pulled into the shuttle. You smile and stop struggling, knowing your job is done. You hear a loud boom and feel the hands gripping you release. You get off the floor and look to see Ayn wielding a shotgun, firing from the hip. Her expression was emotionless as she racked the pump of the shotgun. She fires another shot in the general direction of the anthros and aliens, taking 2 with a single shot. You run to the shuttle and pull her along with you. She keeps firing the shotgun behind her as you both run to the shuttle. You make it to the airlock and you aim the grenade launcher at the advancing horde of anthros, humans, and aliens. You watched as blood and guts rained down around the area that was just hit.  
You slam the airlock closed and hit the emergency release, throwing the shuttle away from the station and sucking the mixture of life out the docking port with it. You open the inner airlock door and rip off your mask, throwing it aside as well as the grenade launcher. Ayn just walks past you and sits down in a seat, fastening her seat belt and holding the shotgun upright. You take a deep breath and sigh loudly.  
“We made it.” You say to nobody in particular.  
You walk over to the cockpit and set it to land at Zofie's shuttle.

When you land, you enter the passenger area and see Nytro sitting next to Ayn, who still had the same exact face she did when you last saw her. You wave Nytro off, who'd been groping her smugly the entire time.  
“Ayn?” You ask. “You okay?”  
She doesn't even blink.  
“Ayn?” You ask again. “Are you there?”  
She just blinks, not moving anything else.  
“Everyone out except for Ayn and I.” You tell everyone.  
“What? Why?” Ara asks.  
“Do it, now.” You command.  
Everyone does as they're told, leaving through the airlock and out the door. You put a hand on Ayn's shoulder.  
“Ayn, talk to me.” You say to her.  
She doesn't even move. You move her from the seat and take the shotgun from her, which she was gripping tightly. You put the safety on and set it aside, sitting her on the floor. You sit next to her and her face slowly starts to crack into a face of panic and fear.  
“I-I killed someone.” She tells you. “I killed them Anon. They're dead. I didn't even tell them to stop, I just, shot.”  
“Shh, it's okay.” You coo. “I'm here for you.”  
“No, it's not okay! I killed somebody, god dammit! THEY'RE DEAD!” She yells. “I'm a monster!”  
“No you're not. The things you killed were monsters. They were gone inside. Lights on but nobody's home. They were zombies Ayn.” You tell her. “There's nothing to be ashamed of.”  
“But-”  
“No buts. There's nothing you could do for them. They attacked me and you defended me. Thanks for that by the way.” You tell her. “Now come outside with us. We're going to get something to eat.”  
She nods and you get up, helping her off the floor.

After you've eaten, you see Ara eating another 10 donuts.  
“Ara, slow down. Don't you think you're eating a bit too much?” You ask Ara.  
“No! I need lots of calories to convert to energy. The easiest way to get them is by eating simple sugars, so I need to eat LOTS of donuts.” She tells you.  
She then lets out a belch and a little waxy pellet comes out.  
“Uh, what's that?” You ask her, a bit disgusted.  
“Oh, it's parts of the donuts I can't break down into energy. Don't worry, it's perfectly sanitary.” She assures you. “Speaking of bodily maintenance, I need to update my software. Follow me to the cockpit.”  
You nod and she takes you to the cockpit, where she plugs herself into the console.  
“Alright, establishing uplink, now!” She says, pressing a button. “Hmm, what about, now!”  
Nothing happens and her smile vanishes.  
“Now. Now! NOW! NOW!!” She screams.  
“Ara! Calm down!” You shout at her. “It's just an update, it can wait.”  
She looks at you with dilated eyes.  
“No, it can't wait! I NEED this update to keep myself from going into roaming mode! Or worse! I could self destruct!” She shouts at you in a panic. “We need to get somewhere I am able to update or I could very well die!”  
“Wait, no! We can't leave this planet yet! We have to think of a strategy to get to Radoslav!” You yell at her.  
She wasn't listening and begins powering up the ship. You try pulling her away from the controls but it does nothing. You eye her tail and grab hold, attempting to unplug it.  
“DON'T TOUCH ME!” She screams.  
You feel excruciating pain course through your body as your hands lock onto her tail. You feel yourself get blown off her and slam into the cockpit wall. You're in a daze now, barely able to stay conscious. Ara looks back to you and her ears go flat. You see your vision narrowing as she realizes what she did.  
“I-I was j-just trying to protect you.” You say weakly.  
Her lips are moving, but you can't hear what she's saying as your vision fades to black.

Chapter 5: All about ARA

Radoslav

You're sitting in your comfy chair, sipping some wine and watching some peasant girl suck your cock. She finally deep throats the entire thing and you lean your head back, releasing your royal seed into her awaiting throat. She swallows every single drop, sucking everything from your dick and releases it with a wet pop.  
“That was fun.” She says with a little giggle. “Let's do it again some time~.”  
“I will make sure to ask for you.” You tell her, licking your lips with your long tongue.  
She skips off cheerfully and you put some underwear on, sipping more wine. You hear loud footsteps outside your door as they're flung open.  
“Your highness! They're gone!” The large wolf yells to you.  
You spit out your wine and slam the glass down on the table.  
“WHAT?!” You scream in disbelief. “How did they escape an entire special police force!?”  
“They had a shuttle waiting, and a Federation soldier was with them! It was that Anon guy!” He tells you. “He completely annihilated our entire force!”  
“But how did the ARA unit leave The Tower? She's supposed to be trapped there!” You yell in even more disbelief.  
“The soldier carried her away sire! Her emergency transponder went offline shortly after they made orbit.” He informs you.  
You knew you should've taken that human in when he questioned your motives. It was almost like he had seen this before. He knew exactly what you were planning to do! Now the only shot at getting the last of the data from the cores is lost. Unless...  
“Guard, where is the location of the nearest cloud for IH Kaltag's military anthroids?” You ask.  
“It's about 30 light years away, a quick jump away.” He tells you. “Why?”  
“We're going to pay them a little visit.” You tell him deviously.

Anon

You wake up on a bench, feeling like you just got ran over by a capitol ship.  
“Agh, fuck. What happened?” You ask.  
Ara is sitting in a seat, glancing at you every now and again. Then, it all floods back to you. The panic, the fear, the anger, but most importantly, the regret.  
“Ara, come here.” You say firmly.  
She gets off the chair and moves towards you slowly.  
“Now.” You add with more firmness.  
She gets right next to the bed and you sit yourself up, feeling your back ache. You move your arms towards her and she flinches away. You pull her into a hug and hold her head to your chest.  
“I'm sorry I tried to stop you Ara.” You tell her. “If you really need to do the update, you can go ahead and do it. I won't stop you.”  
“N-no! You realize you're risking your life for a machine, right?” She asks.  
“No, I'm risking my life for a person, a person I care very deeply for. You can't tell me you're just a machine when I've seen all the things you can do. You're cute, quirky, and willing to cheer your friends up when they feel terrible. You have a personality and feelings, doesn't that make you at least a bit important?” You ask.  
“But I can't feel-”  
“Stop. For all intents and purposes, you can feel. Now, continue.” You tell her.  
“That's how I was programmed.” She continues. “I'm the product of over 500 years of research and development, which was mostly just programming responses and possible reactions. I was made in a lab, Anon!”  
“And I was made in a womb! It doesn't matter where you were made, how you were made, or what made you, what really matters is what you do with yourself. You may be hard programmed to deny that you are what you are, but I know exactly what you are. You're a person too. A person who just happens to be made of metal and synth flesh.” You tell her, holding her in an embrace. “Besides, I'm more expendable than you are. Just a washed up old soldier on the wrong side of a needless war. I meant what I said when I told you I'd do what's necessary to keep you safe. That means, if need be, I will die to ensure your safety.”  
“Anon, I-I-” She stutters. “I think my deep learning module just kicked in. Wait, I have a deep learning module! Do you know what that means?”  
“No, what is it?” You ask.  
“Well, firstly, it means I can learn much more easily now. Secondly, it's linked to my mental blocks, meaning I'm automatically upgraded to level 9 clearance! So I can answer almost anything and do almost anything that doesn't relate to high level military secrets! I think this means I could now be classified as sentient! Even though I passed the sentience test on accident, but still!” She replies excitedly. “It means I can learn new emotions, equate them to parameters that indicate a positive or negative response, and actually feel them. I guess I'm now the 'person' you said I was.”  
“That's great news!” You tell her excitedly. “I knew you could do- wait, what do you mean 'sentience test'?”  
“Oh, it's the test that determines if you can be classified as sentient or not. I suffered a fault while answering a few of the questions, and it turns out I got them right. They were questions I usually answer wrong to. That's how I got money and vacation days. I was sad when I passed it, as it meant Kaltag had made a mistake in giving me one of my 'quirks', but I like having money!” She tells you.  
“I understand that. Now that you're able to think for yourself, do you want to plan how we're going to stop Radoslav?” You ask.  
She nods excitedly, wanting to test her newfound freedom.

Radoslav

You step into the main lobby of the server station and look around. It was clean and white, just like most Kaltag stations. A receptionist anthroid gets up and bows politely before sitting back down.  
“Hello emperor. What a pleasant surprise! How may I help you today?” She asks.  
“I would like to be taken to where your ARA unit's backup core is.” You reply back. “I have some business to take care of.”  
“Oh, let me contact the ZTA unit.” She tells you, holding a button and letting it go. “She'll be here shortly.”  
Just as she says that, the ZTA unit comes through the door. She is much taller than you are, but then again, most people are. She bows and then looks at you suspiciously.  
“Hello emperor. I was told you wanted to see the ARA units core?” She asks. “May I ask why?”  
“You may not. It is private business.” You tell her.  
“Well I'm afraid I can't let you through if you don't give me a valid reason. Even if you are the emperor.” She says, annoyed that you denied her an explanation.  
You attempt to walk to the core room anyways, but she steps in your way. Your guards stand in front of you, protecting you from what they perceive as a threat.  
“Step aside.” You tell them. “All of you.”  
Your guards do as they're told, but the ZTA unit doesn't move.  
“I am not your pawn Radoslav. I will not allow you access to one of the most secure places in the entire galaxy so you can steal a core. I'm not moving.” She tells you.  
“Well then, I'll just have to make you move.” You say, drawing your sword.  
You channel your magic through it and lift the ZTA unit up, throwing her into a wall. She attempts to run at you, but you hold her in place.  
“Don't you dare touch my AI you slimy little bastard!” She shouts to you.  
“Take care of her.” You tell your guards. “I'll be back.”

You make it to the AI room, where a copy of the ARA units core is kept. It's a large, circular room with a small blue ball in the center connected to various different cables. You walk up to it and attempt to grab it, but almost burn yourself doing so. You use your magic to lift it and a screen comes down from the ceiling. A rendered image of the ARA units face is displayed, and it's very displeased. The core is yanked from your magical grasp as her face smirks.  
“Why are you trying to steal my core from this station emperor? Wait a second, accessing files, I knew it! You're trying to steal what's on the core to annihilate the other nations!” She shouts angrily.  
“Very good ARA. You've come a long way since you were paired with Vikna. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to take this.” You say, pulling up harder.  
It doesn't budge and the ARA unit's face is now very angry.  
“I'm sorry, but Kaltag policy requires that in the event of a breach in the core by anyone, I must delete the backups of myself stored on all cloud networks. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.” She says before the screen goes blank.  
You look back at the core and see it's gone dark, all the wiring ejecting itself from the core. It's been wiped.  
“No matter ARA, I will go to The Tower and take your master core by force. This time you won't be so lucky.” You say with great malice.

Anon

You're scratching behind Ara's ear as Vikna moves the shuttle around a virtual space.  
“I think I found an opening to the station we could go for. There's minimal defenses and the defenses that are in place are very light. It would currently be our best option.” She tells you and Krev.  
“What about over here?” Krev asks, pointing to an even more lightly guarded area. “We could insert here and be able to enter through an actual docking port, meaning we won't need to steal a shuttle.”  
“I've been analyzing this defense network and have found a point that has absolutely no defenses to speak of, but we would have to use the shuttle as a battering ram to get inside. This means we would still need to steal a shuttle to get out again.” Ara says, pointing to the area in question.  
“What do you think, Anon? You're an O-4 after all.” Vikna asks.  
You were indeed an O-4, but this wasn't your specialty. You were an officer because you could lead, not because you could plan out battles like the generals.  
“I'm not too good at this kind of thing, but I think Ara's plan is the best route. Vikna's plan means we have to bore through a thick part of the station with grinders while under heavy fire. Krev, your plan was much better in theory than Vikna's, but we can't be sure that our shuttle will remain where we park it. So I think using the shuttle as a means of entering the station through a weaker section of hull might be best. Then again, I'm probably wrong about this and one of your plans might be best.” You tell them.  
“That, actually makes a lot of sense. Good thinking Anon.” Krev tells you. “Same with you Ara.”  
You both say thanks and continue planning for the assault.

About 2 weeks later, you are back in charted space, where Ara immediately attempts to connect with a cloud. You see her eyes flash purple and it feels like her entire being is plunged into a state of pure fear.  
“T-they're gone.” Is all she says.  
“Wait, what?” You ask.  
“They're all gone. Oh my god. The entire network has been wiped.” She says, her eyes not changing color. “There are no other ARA units connected to the Network either. It's just me and my main core.”  
“What does that mean?” You ask her.  
“It means that if I die, Ara as you know her will be gone. Forever.” She says. “Anon, I-I'm scared.”  
She actually admitted she was scared. You feel your heart sink into your feet as she drops to the floor and sits there, just staring at the back of the cockpit.  
“I'm going to die.” She says without emotion. “All of that progress will be lost. Hundreds of years of research, just gone.”  
You grip the control stick so hard you hear the material begin to crack.  
“I won't let that happen. They'll have to kill me first before they can so much as scratch your core.” You reassure her.  
You pick the microphone up off the console and press the talk button.  
“Change of plans, we're heading back to The Tower. We're going to take Ara's main core away from Radoslav and place it on the planet we were just on. We will continue with the plan after that.” You announce, putting the microphone back on the console.  
You hear the door open up behind you and Vikna enters.  
“What!?” She asks loudly. “There could be an entire assault force there by now! We don't even know when the Network was purged!”  
“Vikna, for the love of god, sit back down and shut up. We're doing this and that's final.” You order.  
She's about to retort, but sees no good in arguing with you. You change course and engage the FTL drive.

You come out of FTL to see The Tower under siege. The entirety of The Tower is being attacked by some form of vessel. You plunge the shuttle down into the atmosphere, as your objective is further down. You feel the gravity generators kick in, pushing you back in your seat as the force of the deceleration tries to throw you out the window. You finally reach the ground and level off, landing back at the front of the tower. You grab your rifle and chamber a round as the ramp drops open. All you can hear is the roar of the engines, as well as a few rail gun shots. You enter the tower and see two guards wearing heavy armor. You fire at their center of mass and they crumple to the floor, dead. The rest of your friends moved in behind you as you called the elevator. When it comes down, you all get inside and you put in the floor of the core room. It asks for a password and you slam the butt of your rifle into the screen.  
“P-p-pass-assword accepted.” The elevator says with a ding as you start ascending.

When you reach the floor, you see 3 guards aiming at the door. They open fire with laser rifles, but they all hit your nano armor. You put 3 shots into them and they go down like sacks of potatoes. You see Radoslav at the other end of the hallway, guarded by 5 elite looking guards. They stand fast with electric spears. You fire at them but the bullet just bounces off. They close in slowly as you toss your gun aside.  
“Alright. It's been a while since I've had to beat the shit out of someone.” You tell them, cracking your knuckles.  
They immediately try to encircle you, but you rip one of their spears from their hands. You shock the guard with his own spear and see Ayn roundhouse kick another from behind. The other 3 guards took stabs at you with their spears. One of them hit and you feel the pain that you felt back on Terra. The torture chamber. It sets something off inside your mind, whether it be the voltage, the pain, or something else, but you were immediately angry. So angry that the pain was gone. You felt nothing but pure hatred for these three guards, and you were going to absolutely wreck their shit.  
You grab the spear from your chest and pull the guard with it. You grab his neck and crush it in your hands, making him fall limp. You jump up off the ground and break the spear on your knee, using the sharp ends to impale the other guard. You turn to the last guard, who was trying to charge you with his spear. You parry the spear and punch him as hard as you can in the neck. He flies back towards Radoslav, who was still entering the password. The anger inside you subsides and you continue towards Radoslav. He draws his sword and points it to the side of you as you close in. You hear a frightened yelp and see Ara shoot past you.  
“ANON!” She screams.  
“Ara!” You shout back. “Let her go dammit!”  
“No can do big guy.” He hisses.  
You run at him and he shoves the blade in place above her core. The door behind him opens and Ara tries to shock him, but it does nothing. He stabs her in the core and her entire body goes limp, falling from Radoslavs grasp.  
“You should've just given me the AI Anon. She would still be alive.” He taunts.  
You feel the anger boil up inside you, but he launches his sword into your chest. It goes straight through the nano vest and pierces your chest, embedding itself in your heart.  
“Now go. Join the rest of your filthy race you disgusting hairless freak.” He tells you.  
You feel yourself grow weaker and weaker. You fall to the ground and onto your back, the sword being expelled from your chest. Your vision begins to narrow as the memories of Ara flood through your head. You shed a single tear as you failed to do the one thing you promised. You failed to protect your friend.

Ayn

You watch as Anon runs after Radoslav before he plunges his sword into Ara's core. You look back to see the elevator doors sealed shut as your friends inside try to open them. Then, you look back just in time to see a sword impale Anon.  
“Now go, join the rest of your filthy race, you disgusting hairless freak.” Radoslav tells Anon.  
Anon falls to the ground, making the sword rise up and clatter to the floor. Radoslav just laughs and winks at you before shutting the door. You run to Anon, checking to see if he has a pulse. The sword went straight through his heart, killing him almost instantly. You hear the door behind you get forced open, you and Anon's friends flooding through. They all stop when they see Anon on the floor, dead. You hear a mechanical groaning noise from the door and see Ara power back on.  
“W-what happened? What did I-” She asks before seeing Anon. “Oh no.”  
She gets to her feet and sprints over to you and Anon.  
“No no no no no please don't be dead, please oh PLEASE don't be dead.” She pleads.  
You can't even watch as she leans over him.  
“NO! ANON PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS TO ME! OH MY GOD ANON!” She cries out in desperation. “I LOVE YOU ANON, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME! ANON!”  
She trails off into mournful cries of despair as she clutches to Anon. You see something sticking out of his pocket and pull it out. It's the picture of you all on Christmas. You put the picture in his hand and fold his arm around his chest. He probably would've wanted that. You stand back up and see Ara's core had already self healed. You see Ara take something from his belt. It's his pistol Vikna gave him.  
“I'm gonna finish this.” Ara tells you. “Let Anon's friends stay with him.”  
You nod and Ara walks up to the door, gun shaking. Ara shoots the control panel and the door opens, revealing Radoslav holding Ara's master core. He looks over at Ara and his expression sours.  
“What the-”  
Ara shoots him once between the eyes, killing him instantly. The core falls and Ara winces as it hits the floor. She goes over to her master core and picks it up, placing it back into the stand it was first on. You hear a voice from out in the hall and so does Ara.  
“Uh, girls, you should come and see this!” Says one of Anon's friends.  
You come back outside and see Anon stuffing the Christmas picture back in his pocket.  
“Am I dead?” He asks.  
You hear loud thumping behind you and a very excited Ara runs past you.  
“ANON!” She shouts ecstatically.

Anon

You're in limbo for a while, at least, that's what it felt like. You heard a bang, and then a bang again. You see a light pulse for a split second before it pulsed again. Then again. It kept pulsing until finally you could see around you. Your senses began to return to you. First your sight, then your hearing, then your sense of touch. You felt a piece of paper in your hand and grab it, seeing what it was. It was the Christmas picture.  
“Uh, girls, you should come and see this!” Dex yells.  
Ayn comes out of the room as you stuff the picture back in your pocket.  
“Am I dead?” You ask him.  
Then you see Ara come out behind her. She lights up immediately and runs over to you.  
“ANON!” She shouts ecstatically.  
She runs up to you and pulls you into a hug.  
“Ara! Are you okay? Are you safe? Did he destroy your core? What happ-”  
She pulls you into a kiss and you close your eyes gently, letting yourself melt into it. She pulls away and you open your eyes.  
“Anon, just stop.” She tells you softly. “Everything's fine now.”  
You feel the sharp pain in your chest, reminding you that everything is not fine. You begin coughing and see blood spatter on your uniform. Nate takes out a chest seal and applies it to your wound, turning you around and doing the same with your back. You take a deep breath and feel the nanites in the chest seal repairing your lung.  
“How did you survive being impaled through the heart?” Ara asks.  
“My heart isn't normal. It was replaced during the genetic modifications with a more powerful heart. It also can repair itself rapidly from almost nothing, making it difficult for a heart shot to kill me. It was one of the things they do before the super soldier program, so your heart isn't too weak to pump blood to your muscles. However, I can only have my heart repaired once before I need to get a nanite injection to the heart. It's all very complicated and I don't know the details.” You explain.  
After you're done explaining, you feel the nanites peel the chest seal off your chest and back. You pull them off and toss them aside, getting yourself off the floor.  
“Ara, how? I saw your core get skewered.” You tell her.  
“I uploaded my current data set and personality to override the master core. Since there were no other ARA units to deny this request, the master core accepted it. I just finished uploading once Radoslav grabbed me, so I was able to repair all lost data from the blow. You on the other hand,” She says, pointing at the hole in your uniform. “Are lucky to be alive.”  
“Can I have my gun back please?” You ask.  
“Oh! Sure, take it.” She says.  
You take the gun and put it back in it's holster.  
“Wait, why did you have my-” You ask before the realization hits. “Did you...”  
She nods her head.  
“Holy shit, Ara, you're not fucking around. Let me confirm it really quick.” You tell her.  
You walk over to the door and go through it, seeing a corpse in fancy robes laying on the floor. You get to the corpse and draw your Automag, dumping the rest of the magazine into his chest. What you didn't expect, was sparks.  
“Son of a bitch.” You say. “It's a fucking drone!”  
Ayn runs up to you and pulls out her phone.  
“I'm calling my mother. She will be able to dispatch ships to aid in securing Katric.” Ayn tells you.  
“I already called Kaltag, they're disabling as many ships as they can right now, but we're still going to be heavily outgunned. Unless we can find crews for the ships being disabled, we have no chance.” Ara tells you.  
“I think I have the perfect plan, but for now, I want to sleep in a bed for a night.” You tell them.

You make it back to Viknas room and open the door, seeing the place exactly as you left it. Ara grabs your arm and you rub her head gently with the other.  
“I'll call a hotel and get our new friends situated. After that, I'll make some sandwiches and grab some beers. I need a stiff drink after today.” You tell everyone.  
After you call a hotel and send your other friends on their way, you get in the kitchen, using the food synth to make some bacon sandwiches. You haven't had bacon in a while, so you might as well have it now. You hear the door to Viknas room close and look back to the counter. Ara is the only one there.  
“Where's Vikna off to?” You ask Ara.  
“She's tired and wants to catch up with her dad. It means we're alone now.” She tells you.  
You bring a sandwich over to Ara and she takes it, eating it quickly. You take it much slower, enjoying the flavor of bacon.  
“I wish I could taste like you could Anon. I can barely taste the bacon on the sandwich.” She complains.  
“I can get you some new taste receptors if we survive this assault. I know a guy and he can hook you up.” You tell her. “He'll be gentle, I promise.”  
You finish the sandwich and see she got some sauce on her nose and sides of her mouth. You lick your thumb and gently wipe it away.  
“Anon, you don't have to do that for me.” She tells you. “I'm just fine tasting food normally.”  
“No, consider it a, uh, late Christmas gift.” You tell her.  
You were about to say parting gift, but you didn't want to panic Ara. You knew you were going to die when you entered that station. You knew what was waiting there for you, but you didn't care. This wasn't about something stupid like AI rights, it was about preventing genocide on a galactic scale. Besides, you were a soldier. Soldiers die, that's what they do. They protect people who can't protect themselves, putting themselves in front of innocents.  
You made sure to read up on Radoslav, and it turns out he was very brutal. 'Peace through order', that was his official statement when he became emperor. From what you read, he loves to sentence people to death for small crimes, such as theft and disorderly conduct. It made you sick when you read he sentenced a child to death because they fought back against a bully at school. The only thing he did for the family of the child was issue an apology. How could you kill a kid? For the exact opposite of a crime, no less. You put down your data pad and sigh. You had to calm yourself down.  
You look over and see Ara staring off into nothingness with her visor down. She nodded every now and then.  
“Ara, what're you watching?” You ask.  
“A news report. Why?”  
You get up and walk over to the couch, sitting down and turning on the TV.  
“A breaking news report! The Grand Empire has just attacked IH Kaltag in an attempt to steal one of their main military AI cores, the ARA unit. Emperor Radoslav Kovsai has yet to make a statement, but it is believed he is behind the attack. Kaltag has created a demilitarized zone around The Tower and has told the Emperor to keep his troops away from the zone, or they will attack his station immediately.” Says the young fox lady on the news. “The entire Grand Empire fleet has turned tail and gone back to the station to protect the Emperor. Leaving the entire city devoid of any and all Grand Empire forces. This has been channel 32 news. Chesnova Krinska, signing off.”  
They then show a picture of the city, with various Kaltag ships around it, forming a wall of sorts to protect against any ground assault and air invasion. You smile at that and look out the window to see the wall of ships. You look at the time and see it's already 5 o'clock. The sun should be setting really soon, meaning you were off to sleep. You turn the TV off and get up, walking off to bed.  
“Hey, where are you going so early?” Ara asks.  
“Sleep. I'm tired and need rest.” You tell her. “I think you'd be wise to charge yourself as well.”  
She looks up and nods.  
“Yeah, I'm pretty low on power. Might be from the nanites.” She tells you.  
You nod and go into her room, basically falling onto the bed. You couldn't move if you wanted to.  
“Anon, are you okay?” Ara asks, closing the door behind her.  
“A little help please?” You ask. “Can you role me over to face your side of the bed?”  
“Of course. Let me just come over here and, hnnng, lift you!” She says, lifting you to face her side of the bed. “There you go. Anything else?”  
“No thanks. I'm good.” You say groggily.  
“Alright, good night.” She tells you.  
“Night.” You say before passing out.

You wake up and see Ara still charging. Her torso is glowing as well, which you guess is the nanites repairing her core completely. You stretch yourself out and get up, going over to the door and opening it. Ayn is standing right in front of the door and she pulls you out of the room, closing the door.  
“Mmm, what did you two do while we were all gone~?” She asks.  
“Nothing obscene if that's what you're implying.” You reply.  
“I bet you two went down on each other like animals, didn't you~?” She continues.  
“No. I would never do that to Ara. She wouldn't understand it and it'd be like raping her.” You reply firmly.  
“Whatever you say Habibi~.” She says. “I'm always here if you need somebody.”  
You hear the door open behind you and a totally naked Ara steps out.  
“Hello Miss Ay- OH MY GOD I'M STILL NAKED!” Ara shouts, running back into the room.  
When she comes back out, she's dressed in a comfy looking sweater and smiles awkwardly.  
“R-ready.” She says  
“Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but Ara and I have an appointment at an anthroid clinic. She's getting new taste buds.” You tell Ayn.  
You walk off before Ayn can drag you into any more conversation and you get your winter clothing on.

When you get down to the parking garage, you're surprised to see your bike still there. Ara runs over to it and hops on the back, falling off the other side.  
“Ara! Are you okay?” You ask, worried she might've damaged herself.  
“I'm okay!” She tells you, getting up and hopping back on the rear of the bike.  
You chuckle and grab your key from your pocket. You turn off the bike lock and get on it, inserting the key and turning it to on.  
“You ready?” You ask.  
“Ready!” She yells, flipping the helmet's visor down and grabbing your waist.  
You smile and do the same with your helmet, you kick the starter hard and it starts on the first try. You rev the motor a few times before tearing ass out of the parking lot. You swerve past all the ground traffic as you make your way towards Tony's.

You stop the bike in front of Tony's and turn it off, the engine sputtering and dying as the magneto is turned off. You wrap the bike lock around a street light and the front shock as Ara rushes off towards the wrong building.  
“Ara! It's this one!” You shout, pointing to the clean building in front of you. “That's the pizza place we're going afterwards!”  
She turns around and runs off to the store in front of you, going inside. You shake your head and take off your helmet. You enter the building and see Ara already sitting down, pulling her hair out of the helmet. You walk up to the receptionist and put some credits on the table.  
“I have an appointment for an ARA unit. She needs new taste buds.” You tell the young fox lady.  
“Ah! You're mister Anon? Go right on ahead, Tony's waiting for you.” The receptionist tells you with a smile.  
You nod and wave Ara over, who jumps up and skips over to Tony's office. You jog over there and see Tony chuckling at her. He was a tiger anthro, which made you a bit uncomfortable when you first met, but he gave you all your anthroid supplies while you were away and became one of your friends.  
“You got a live one don't you? So, new taste receptors eh? That's a relatively simple and completely painless procedure. In fact, I'll do it right now. Open wide!” He tells Ara.  
She does as she's told and he grabs a tool, pulling some pieces of glowing blue synth flesh out and replacing them with much newer looking pieces of synth flesh. He then offers her a data stick, which she sticks on her tail connector that she'd already prepared. The data downloads and she takes the stick off, laying on the bed and restarting. When she wakes up, she immediately looks to you.  
“Is it done? I don't feel any different.” She tells you.  
“I already payed for it Tony. Let's go get some food Ara.” You tell her.

When you get out of the pizza place, Ara burps loudly and you chuckle.  
“I never knew how good pizza was! It tastes amazing!” She shouts with glee.  
“You ate a whole pizza too. God damn, you're an eating machine.” You tell her.  
“No, I'm a relay administrator! Wait, was that a joke?” She asks, realizing what you said.  
“It was a joke.” You confirm.  
She just blushes awkwardly and you rub her head.  
“It's fine. You're still learning.” You tell her. “Too bad I won't be around to watch you grow.”  
“Hmm?” She asks, having not heard you.  
“Oh, just talking to myself. Let's go over to Zofies cake shop.” You tell her.  
You unlock your bike and insert the key, kick starting it. You feel Ara get on the back and you strap your helmet on. You rev it and tear onto the street.

You reach Zofies shop and get off the bike, turning it off and helping Ara off. You check inside to make sure those goons weren't back to rough her up. They weren't so you enter the shop with Ara. Ara immediately rushes over to the display and nearly scares Zofie to death.  
“Oh mein Gott! You scared me Ara. Would you like your usual doughnut today?” She asks.  
“That, and I want this, this, this, oh, and this thing too.” Ara says quickly.  
“O-oh, are you sure you can taste all of this? It would be a waste of money if you just ate them without-oh hello Anon!” She shouts, finally noticing you.  
“Hi, I'm pretty sure Ara can taste all of these now. Just got her some new receptors and she was freaking out about how good the pizza was.” You inform Zofie.  
“OOH! I have the perfect thing!” Zofie yells, rushing into the back room.  
You here some mild whuffing and she comes out with a piece of cake.  
“You're going to love this Ara! It's one of my secret recipes that you couldn't taste before.” Zofie tells her excitedly. “Try it!”  
You watch as Ara takes the plate and fork, cutting a piece of the cake off and sticking it in her mouth unceremoniously. Her eyes immediately widened and she swallows it immediately.  
“OH MY GOD ANON TRY THIS!” She screams.  
You cut a piece off with the fork and stick it in your mouth. It feels like pure strawberry and sugar explodes into your mouth.  
“Oh my gawd.” You say, still chewing. “Dis is amazhing!”  
Ara continues to eat the rest of the cake while Zofie watches, tail wagging at mach speed.  
“I knew you'd like it! Guess what the secret ingredient is!” She yells excitedly.  
You're pretty sure you're not going to like this.  
“Just to be safe, this isn't going to be anything that came from your body, or anything that could potentially kill anyone if not cooked properly, correct?” You ask.  
Her ears droop down more than usual.  
“N-no.” She says, laughing nervously. “Why would you think that?”  
“Just keep the secret ingredient a secret. I really don't want to know what makes this cake so good if it will make me want to throw it up again.” You tell her.  
“I don't care!” Ara says. “I can't get sick from foods.”  
“Well, I think it'd be best if I told you later when Anon's not around.” Zofie says.  
Ara continues to try everything in Zofies shop while you continue to read up more about Radoslav. Turns out his sword is a titanium zerkite textolite hybrid. Extremely hard to break and can be sharpened to a very fine point. The sword is more of an amplifier and stabbing weapon than a slashing weapon, so it would probably be better to find armor that can resist the weapon itself. Radoslav also likes to throw it at people when they challenge him to a duel, calling it back to him when the try to grab it. You were pretty sure you're strong enough to keep it from being called back to him if he tried that, unless he manages to get through the armor you will be wearing.  
“Anon, I'm ready to go back now. Hey, what're you reading?” She asks.  
“Nothing. I'll take you back if you want.” You tell her, closing the page on Radoslavs sword.  
“Anon, you don't have to fight him if you don't want to. Let him come to us and we can fight him on our own terms.” Ara tells you.  
“Let's just go back to The Tower. I don't feel like talking about this.” You tell her.  
You get up and put your helmet back on, not wanting to talk anymore.

On the ride home, Ara kept on probing, telling you that you didn't need to do this alone. You didn't reply to her at all. You weren't going to put her in any more danger. You brought friends with you once, and that didn't work out. They all got trapped in an elevator and you got stabbed by a sword, being saved by something you forgot you had. Maybe you'd take Dex and Nate, but not Ara. Not again. She wasn't a soldier, she was an AI meant for bridge work.

You make it back to Vikna's room and sit down on the couch hard, moving it back a bit. Vikna looks over at you as Ara enters the room, still trying to talk to you.  
“Anon, please don't do this. You'll get yourself killed!” Ara yells after you. “I can't bare the thought of you dying.”  
You just put your head in your hands and sigh.  
“She's right you know?” Vikna says. “We're behind you all the way.”  
“I don't want anyone behind me.” You tell them through your hands. “You have your whole lives ahead of you. I'm just an old washed up human with no future outside of working odd jobs to make it by. Stop worrying about me.”  
Ara just walks up to you and grabs your chin. She brings it up to face her and slaps you hard.  
“NO!” She screams. “I WILL NOT STOP WORRYING ABOUT YOU! You've taken up literally half my neural nets for the past 3 months, and I will not let you go out and get yourself killed because of some false sense of duty! Let Radoslav come to us!”  
“What good would waiting do?” You ask.  
“Anon, you don't seem to understand why we needed to crack Terra in the first place. It's because ground combat is extremely rare nowadays, so nobody really trains for it. Everyone trains for station and ship based combat because nobody is stupid enough to fight wars of attrition on the ground. Nobody except us. If he is forced to do ground combat with no Kaltag AI, he'd have to rely on cheaper, second rate models that aren't nearly as well equipped. We'd win in an instant, combined with the Sianian fleet, and your ground combat skills.” Krev says from behind you. “That little shit head is nothing compared to the last emperor Kovsai. He executed all the old generals that didn't agree with his points of view, leaving him with generals who wouldn't know how to handle ground combat. We can beat him if we just stay on the ground.”  
You think about it and realize how easily it was for you to kill those guards of his on the ground. You doubt the old Emperor Kovsai would've been nearly as unprepared.  
“Alright.” You say with a nod. “We'll wait, but that doesn't mean we're waiting with our thumbs up our asses. I want to know what kind of ground forces the Grand Empire has at it's disposal.”

After sitting around and doing some planning for about an hour, you figure that the Grand Empire is very much poorly matched for your guerrilla tactics. Their armor and APCs have no form of detection beyond the mark one eyeball. This means that you'd be able to use cloaking and concealment instead of having to mask heat signatures. You also managed to locate a large surplus of Terran weaponry specifically designed to destroy capitol ships and land based vehicles. Lots of anti-tank missiles and towed rail guns.  
The planning and positioning of units at choke points was beginning to tire you.  
“I think that's good enough for now.” You tell them. “I would rather not turn this place into a war room. Do you all want something to eat?”  
“I could go for some steak.” Ayn says nonchalantly. “Haven't had that in a while.”  
You smile and nod before hearing little footsteps rush up behind you.  
“Warning, no!” Screams Vikna before you feel furry little arms grapple your neck.  
“This unit will not allow Anonymous to cause ARA any more emotional harm! This unit is very angry with-” She says before you grab her arms.  
You rip them off you and toss her to the ground, getting into a fighting stance as instinct kicks in. You relax yourself when you see Warning on the ground, staring up at you indignantly.  
“Warning! What the hell was that!?” Ara shouts.  
“This unit is protecting you from emotional trauma ARA unit. Warning! Slight structural damage detected!” Warning says as she rubs her butt lightly.  
“I don't need protection from emotional trauma Warning. Thank you for the thought though.” Ara tells Warning.  
Warning looks back to you with distrust in her eyes, but eventually speaks.  
“This unit apologizes for any damage it may have caused. This unit will now go to receive 'pets' from Nytro.” Warning says before walking over to Nytro and clinging to his leg.  
Nytro rolls his eyes and smirks at her behavior, picking her up and taking her off to Ayn's room. You rub your neck and chuckle.  
“That was, uh, something.” You say with a laugh. “I'll get on that steak.”

After grilling the steaks for about 5 minutes, you see it's ready to plate. It has the signature sear marks and is a golden brown color. You haven't cooked steak in a while, so you made sure to play it safe with the cooking, even though food synth meat is completely sterile and can be eaten raw. You slice the steak thinly and put it on burgers, along with some cheese and fried onion rings. It was an old Terran special, made by a company that specialized in meat. You serve the greasy looking food to Ara, who sticks her tongue out at the dripping grease.  
“Ew, that's kinda gross looking.” She tells you.  
You take the food away from her and fix it up a bit. You did put the meat on a little hastily, so you take it off and center it on the buns. You also wipe off the excess grease with a napkin, giving it back to her.  
“Better?” You ask.  
“Better.” She replies.  
Ayn is already digging into the burger, as well as Nytro and Vikna.  
“These are pretty good Anon.” Ayn says through a mouthful of burger. “Where did you learn to cook?”  
“We didn't really have main stream food synths back on Terra, only things that printed vegetables and tofu. So most men and women knew how to do basic cooking.” You reply back.  
“That must've been a pain.” Ayn says. “Food synths are so convenient when you're too lazy to cook or too impatient to wait for someone to make food. Kind of like me.”  
You chuckle at it, earning a grin from her. You see Ara take her first bite and her eyes light up.  
“Oh my god! This is so good!” She says, taking another bite.  
The meat and cheese began falling out the back of the burger and you grab a tooth pick. You stick it in the burger after pushing the meat back into the bun, keeping everything in place.  
“Forgot to put tooth picks in. Sorry if it gets messy to eat.” You apologize.  
“Id's nothing.” Vikna says through a full mouth.  
“I'll leave more on the table if you want more. Ara, that doesn't mean you eat all of the burgers before everyone else can.” You tell her sternly. “Let everyone else have seconds or ask them if they want more before you scarf down everything.”  
“Okay dad.” She says sarcastically.  
“That's no way to talk to your father.” You reply back jokingly.  
You pick up a plate of 2 burgers and bring them back to Krevnitska, who's still placing units in defensive positions.  
“You gotta take a break from these war games you're playing and eat.” You say, setting the plate down in the middle of the battlefield. “You'll starve if you don't.”  
He places a few units around the burgers and you snicker.  
“Krev, you there?” You ask, waving a hand in front of his face.  
He doesn't respond, just keeps placing units.  
“Krev?” You ask again, starting to get worried.  
He doesn't respond again.  
“Krev!” You yell slapping him on the back.  
“Huh? Oh! You made food!” He says, sniffing the air.  
“Yeah, you placed some snipers around it.” You tell him. “Eat up before you get back to your war games.”  
“Mind bringing me a beer? I could use one.” He asks.  
“Sure.” You tell him.  
You go back to the kitchen and look to see Ara taking another burger.  
“Mm, that was nice Habibi. I've never had a man cook for me before. Maybe I could pay you back later~.” Ayn teases.  
“Ew, gross.” Ara says.  
You can't help but smile at that as you grab a couple beers. You hear a sudden outburst of laughter and turn around. You see Ayn tickling Ara's belly.  
“S-stop! I yield! I yield!” Ara yells. “You win!”  
“Mmhmm. You know what that means Anon~.” Ayn says as she flutters her eyes at you.  
“It means you get a beer and I'm gonna go sit on the couch.” You tell Ayn, grabbing another beer from the fridge and tossing it to her.  
Ayn pouts and catches the beer as Ara eats the rest of the burger. She reaches for another and you clear your throat. She looks up at you and gives you a guilty smile, putting her hand back in her lap. You smile and walk over to Krev with two beers and a burger of your own. You set the beer down beside him and see him eating the burger.  
“Hey, Krev, you okay man?” You ask. “You seem kinda out of it.”  
“Sorry Anon. I'm just a bit worried for Katric's forces. We don't have the know how to fight a guerrilla war.” He tells you.  
You just put a hand on his shoulder and he sighs.  
“We'll make it.” You tell him. “I'll die before I let my new home get overrun by some fucking space commies.”

You finish eating and drink the rest of your beer before turning on the holo-screen. Just then, your phone begins to ring and you answer it.  
“Hello?” You ask.  
“Is this Anon?” The voice asks.  
“Yes. Who is this?” You ask in return.  
“I'm a secretary working for the prime minister of Katric. He wishes to talk with you about protecting his assets from Radoslav. Please come to the CPD for a meeting tomorrow. He has things to talk to you about.” The secretary says before hanging up.  
“Okay, that's just great.” You say, switching to the local entertainment station.  
“Who called?” Krev asks, finishing his own beer.  
“Prime minister. They want to talk tactics. I think you should come with me, maybe they'd like their Rook back.” You tell him.  
“Where do they want to meet at?” He asks.  
“The CPD, whatever that is.” You say.  
“The Center for Political Discourse.” Ara chimes in. “From what I hear, it's not a very nice place.”  
You just sigh and rest your head on the back of the couch.

Tomorrow

You walk out of the CPD with a headache and a desire to die. You hated politics and politicians even more. The prime minister was so tactically retarded, you doubt a rock would've done any worse. You could see Krevnitska was tired as well. When you walked out of the front door, you were swarmed by reporters of all types.  
“Mister Anon! Do you have anything to say on human anthro relations?” One asks.  
“Is there any way we could get an interview with on of the highest ranking humans still alive?” Another asks.  
“Do you have anything to say to Radoslav, now that you have a fleet behind you?” Yet another asks.  
“Say something for the camera Anon!” A reporter asks you, stopping you in your tracks.  
You sigh and look straight into the camera.  
“I'm calling out to all humans and anthros alike. Anyone who has a burning hatred for that lady boy in his high castle. Stand and fight with me. We need everyone we can get.” You tell the camera. “Oh, and Radoslav. I suggest you run. Run as far away as you possibly can. Because if you attack this planet and I'm still alive, I will hunt you down and rip your head off your neck with my bare hands. That's not just a threat, you slimy bastard, it's a promise.”  
You continue past the camera and get inside the station wagon that Ayn was driving before she drives off.  
“Holy shit Anon, that was brutal.” Krev tells you. “I'm just glad you're on our side. I don't doubt you meant what you said.”  
“Wait, what did you say?” Ayn asks.  
“I told Radoslav to run away or I'd hunt him down and rip his head from his neck.” You say.  
“Whoa, turn down the edge.” Ayn tells you.  
“Says the one who beats people to death with a glorified fishing pole attached to a rock.” You counter.  
“To be fair, I use that pole for many other things as well~.” She tells you. “Maybe I could show you what I mean later mister Ramenskaya~.”  
“Whoa, I don't even know where you've been. I may be old and desperate, but that doesn't mean I'll take just anyone.”  
“Oh don't be such a prude. I'm clean, I swear.” Ayn tells him, looking back to face him.  
“She fucks her dad Krev. I think it's the fact that we're old enough to be her father that turns her on.” You tell him.  
“H-hey! It's not taboo where I live to do that!” She says quickly in her defense.  
“Sure.” You say sarcastically. “Whatever you say.”  
“Don't make me stop this car Habibi.” She threatens.  
You just chuckle and lay back on the head rest the whole way back.

You enter Vikna's room and trudge over to Ara's bed room, barely able to lift your arm to wave at Ara.  
“Oh my god Anon, you look exhausted.” Ara says.  
“No shit.” You tell her. “Was it the baggy eyes or the fact that I'm dragging my feet that gave it away?”  
“Shut up and lay down.” She says firmly.  
“Yes ma'am.” You say sarcastically.  
You throw yourself onto the bed and feel yourself begin to sink into the bed. Ara flips you over and starts taking off your clothes, stopping at your underwear. She undresses herself and closes the door, walking back to you. She lays herself down on top of you, beginning to purr.  
“I like this.” She says, moving her fingers up and down your chest. “It makes me feel calm.”  
“Same here. I don't know how I fell asleep before I met you.” You tell her.  
You put your hands on her back and stroke her softly, causing her to purr even more.  
“Mmm, I love it when you do that.” She tells you through purrs.  
You continue to stroke her softly as you begin to fall asleep.

You wake up to Ara charging herself with the laptop open. Her eyes were closed and you were certain she wasn't waking up any time soon. You turn the laptop around and see she just finished typing out a response to a question. Well, type doesn't really describe it. More like she took a picture.  
'what does Anon look like when he's sleeping?'  
'Like this. He's so peaceful when he's asleep.'  
It looks like it was drawn from a photo, but otherwise was a picture of you sleeping in your underwear. You decide to go down further and immediately regret doing so. She talks about manipulating people with her physical form and teasing to 'get things done'. You continue to early posts and see the shallowness doesn't end there. Turns out the first time she met you was just a test of how far she could take this manipulative behavior.  
'hey ARA, how far do you think you'd be able to go with a male? Would you ever try it?'  
Next is a drawn out response of her actively harming herself to get an engineer involved, which she rejected many. She finally chose a fat anthro man, who she relentlessly teased until he tried to rape her.  
'I just tried it and almost got raped. So, maybe the next male will be better?'  
You feel your hands begin to shake as she describes in detail the next 5 days she spends with you.  
'are you worried that he might have a job to do? he seems really invested in his work.'  
'Already thought of that. I just sent credits into his bank account so I could continue the experiment. I even downloaded some organic protocols off the Network to aid in the experiment! He doesn't seem to mind following me around, he must like me.'  
'how is the experiment going?'  
'I just befriended him and his heart rate went through the roof! I didn't know how easy it would be to get him to trust me. I have him here right now if you want to ask questions.'  
Is that what you are to her? An experiment? All of that 'love' was just manipulating you into trusting her?  
'Do you think he'll ever find out? This sight is free to visit after all.'  
'No, he doesn't seem to have any interest in my personal life, which is good for me and the experiment. It's kind of charming in a way. I might actually be starting to like him. Don't know yet!'  
Well, guess you're wrong Ara. You did find out. You scroll up to a newer post and see drawings of her stuck inside of the jelly blob, you saving her from assassins, you beating down on Fenrir, you capturing the coyote, and you saving Zofie from the bomb.  
'It seems he's extremely defensive of my friends and I. This physical form has been saved multiple times by Anon, which has saved many credits worth in damages. I don't understand this feeling I'm experiencing right now, but it feels nice. Maybe he's been doing an experiment on me as well?'  
You can't take any more and slam the laptop closed, feeling tears roll down your cheek. Ara lights up and looks up at you, smiling until she sees the laptop.  
“Anon, please. It's not what it looks like.” She says desperately. “I really love you!”  
You just sigh and lay back down.  
“What was that feeling you were experiencing a while back?” You ask. “The one where you drew a picture of me saving you multiple times?”  
“Love! It's what I equate to love now. Please Anon, the experiment ended a long time ago. Just, please, don't leave.” She begs.  
You don't know how to feel right now. You doubt she loved you before she admitted it herself, but she does love you now. At least, you think she does. No, you made a promise to her. You weren't going to stop loving her because of what she did all that time ago.  
“Please, just keep reading if you don't believe me.” Ara tells you.  
You open up the laptop and keep scrolling up. You reach the day before your birthday and see she posted a drawing of her trying on your space suit. She fell over before saying she'll take it. She then announces the experiment was over and the relationship began. You keep scrolling up and see drawn out pictures of Ara having fun with you.  
'ARA, did you actually fall for that guy?'  
'Yes, I did. Sorry for any ruined fantasies! I'll be on holiday with Anon for the next month or so, so expect me to post very sparsely.'  
'Wait, didn't you say you had no interest in sex? You know where relationships like these usually go, right?'  
'Correct! I have no intentions to have sexual intercourse. I believe I'd make a terrible sexual partner, unless I actually took the time to learn how it worked. That could take years!'  
She actually fell for you and canceled her experiment? Her next posts were basically just Christmas photos and silly drawings of her and you. You put the laptop down and wipe away the tears, understanding everything now.  
“I don't care about the means Ara, I only care about the end. I told you I'd never stop loving you, and I mean it.” You tell her calmly.  
“You mean, you're not mad?” She asks.  
“I'm just disappointed.” You say. “Why didn't you tell me I was an experiment? I honestly wouldn't have cared if you had told me.”  
She just looks up to the ceiling, not able to look at you.  
“Well, it would've ruined the experiment.” She says coldly.  
“Right, so back to the other engineer. What was all of that teasing for?” You ask.  
“Hmm? Oh, him. He was a disgusting pig, the perfect subject for the experiment. He would constantly grope me, which I countered by teasing him in public. An eye for an eye you might say. He eventually got tired of it and decided he wanted me to make love to him. Hard. He actually managed to restrain me and, uh, taunt me, which sent my muscles into overdrive. I managed to break out of the restraints and ran for the door, but he locked it. He actually ran at me with a knife, thinking that was going to do anything to me. But it was enough for me to engage defensive protocols, so I could end his rather pathetic life.” Ara says, gritting her teeth towards the end. “He was the lowest form of scum and I don't regret killing him.”  
“I don't blame you. I thought the teasing was one sided, but I guess I was wrong.” You tell her.  
You close the laptop and give it back to her. She takes it, smiling as she sets it back down.  
“Do you still love me?” She asks.  
“Of course Ara.” You tell her, resting your hand on her shoulder. “Didn't I just say I'll never stop loving you?”  
“You don't need to stress yourself out. Now lets get back to sleep. I'm still tired.”  
She gives you a kiss on the cheek and lays back down.  
“Good night Anon.” She says quietly.  
“Good night Ara.” You reply.  
You lay down and Ara clings to you, purring. You hug her back and fall asleep to her fading purrs.

You wake up in the morning and see Ara staring at you.  
“Weirdo.” You tell her with a smile.  
She just giggles at it and you get up, stretching yourself out. Ara's dressed in some kind of loose fitting shirt. It has a Kaltag logo written in Katrician. It was like a weird mixture of some Asian language and Russian back on Terra. You grab a sweater and some sweat pants. Today was going to be a day of laid back planning and video game playing. You hear something slide over the bed towards you and look back to see Ara barely peeking over the bed. Her arm retracts quickly behind the bed and she watches you eagerly. You look to the thing she slid over and see it's a weird looking doughnut. It's glowing as well.  
“Ara, I'd totally eat that, but it's glowing.” You tell her. “That's considered a big no-no on Terra.”  
She pouts and slowly slides the doughnut back towards her. She slides it halfway in her mouth before pushing it out with her tongue.  
“Ew! It's so gross! Never mind, don't eat it.” She tells you.  
You take the plate and walk out to the living room before opening a window and tossing it out. You were about 300 stories or so up, so you hope it didn't kill anybody. You close the window again and go to the kitchen, where Zofie was desperately trying to salvage breakfast.  
“Behind you.” You say as you take one of the pans from her.  
It was eggs.  
“I'll help you out.” You tell her. “Don't worry about the eggs.”  
She was fretting over some bacon right now and you look back to see Ara trying to make another doughnut. Ara scratches her head and adds another dash of, something to it. You couldn't really tell. Zofie's beginning to panic now and snaps at Ara.  
“Ara! Couldn't you do this some other time!? Like when I'm not trying to make breakfast?” She snaps.  
Ara just continues looking at the pot curiously, wondering what went wrong. You continue to make the eggs.  
“How are you so calm!?” Zofie asks loudly.  
“Because getting frustrated isn't going to make the food cook faster.” You say softly.  
She just gets back to cooking the bacon, still completely flustered. You shoo her away and take over both pans.  
“H-hey! I was making those!” She shouts indignantly.  
“Now you're going to eat them. Sit.” You tell her.  
She sits on a chair by Ara, who's trying to dissect what you're doing with her eyes. You begin humming an old song from way back when.  
“Lord almighty, I feel my temperature rising.” You hum under your breath.  
You flip the eggs in the pan as well as the bacon. In one smooth motion, you flip the eggs onto a plate, the bacon following soon after. You continue the motion, putting more bacon into the bacon pan and grabbing 3 eggs from the carton.  
“Higher higher, It's burning through my soul.” You continue, breaking the eggs on the edge of the pan.  
You let the eggs slap down on the pan, instantly starting to sizzle as you continue your little song.  
“Girl, girl, girl, girl, you gonna set me on fire.” You sing, pointing to the girls while using the spoon as a microphone. “My brain is flaming, I don't know which way to go.”  
You look back and flip the bacon over in the pan. As soon as it lands, you continue, pointing at Ara.  
“Your kisses lift me higher, like the sweet song of a choir.” You continue, sliding a plate of bacon and eggs to Ara. “You light my morning sky, with burning love.”  
Ara just blushes, as you toss a fork and butter knife to her.  
“I know that song!” Zofie shouts. “Isn't it Elvis or something? That song is ANCIENT!”  
You nod, sliding another plate over to Zofie, flipping the bacon to the bacon plate and the eggs to the egg plate. You look back to see Ayn and Vikna sitting down as well. You grab a couple plates and put some food on them, sliding the plates to the girls. Ayn digs in immediately while Vikna just looks at the food. You turn around and grab another plate for yourself and set it down on your side of the counter. You look around and see Krev on the couch, continuing the simulations. You put some bacon and eggs on a plate and bring both yours and his plate over to the table. He swipes the entire simulation over and it all slams into the wall, crumbling into pixels.  
“FUCK!” Krev screams.  
Everyone turns to face him and you keep walking forward, sliding the plate down.  
“Boot simulation 3006 please.” You ask the computer.  
It brings up the simulation and You see the previous simulation back on the table. Krev is about to swipe it away again.  
“STOP!” You shout. “Calm down and eat some food dammit. Let me do some planning.”  
You sit down beside him and see he's put the units in the most retarded spots you've ever seen.  
“Jesus Christ Krev, that's not how you fight a guerrilla war.” You say, moving the anti armor rail guns into the forest.  
You move some of the anti armor troops to the forest and put some in the grass as well. You replay the simulation and the Geiger Corp tanks are taken out by the rail guns. The following infantry is taken out by flame troops supported by machine guns and Gatling lasers.  
“How did-”  
“You need to think outside the box Krev. We're fighting one of the most well equipped armies in the entire Rishan galaxy. We can't afford to waste units in open field combat like this.” You tell him.  
You feel your phone vibrate and take it out of your pocket.  
“Hello?” You ask.  
“Yes, this is the quartermaster for the Katrician army, am I speaking to Anon?” The man asks.  
“Yeah, what's up?” You ask in return.  
“Your shipment of tanks from Terra have arrived. These things are ancient, but they might just be ancient enough to be worth something to us. I have almost 2000 M1A3s and 4000 M2A6s. We also found some intact M9A3s, about 700 of them.” The quartermaster tells you.  
“Holy shit, what a find! Spread them out along the lines and get some trainers training crews. I'll be out there tomorrow to inspect the tanks.” You tell him. “Did you get any word on the firearms on Terra?”  
“Yeah, we got, uh, over 100 million. They took up an entire cargo ship.” He replies.  
“Anything else?” You ask.  
“We got some miscellaneous items. Might wanna check them out boss.” He tells you.  
“What did you say?” You ask.  
“Nothing, just come and check them out.” He tells you.  
“Alright, thanks.” You say. “Bye.”  
You hang up the phone and get back to the simulation, adding 50 M1A3s and 50 M2A6s in for the next wave of Grand Empire soldiers.  
“We don't have any of those Anon.” Krev tells you, rubbing the bridge of his snout.  
“Now we do. We just got 2000 M1A3s and 4000 M2A6s.” You tell him.  
He spits out the coffee he was drinking and looks over at you.  
“WHAT!? WHEN!?” He shouts.  
“Just now, why?” You ask.  
“That's more tanks than the entire Grand Empire has at their disposal! We could fight them one on one if we wanted!” He continues shouting.  
“What? How does somebody not have a massive army if they control an entire part of the galaxy!?” You ask, bewildered.  
“It was never seen as necessary. Ships could do all the policing, but now that Kaltag has shut down all of their ships, they have very few ships left at their disposal. The only one I know of that still sells ships to the Grand Empire is KineTine Systems. Their ships are not on par with even the smallest of Kaltag's frigates. We could strike them right now!” Krev yells.  
“No, we can't. We still need to train people to use the tanks effectively. That could take months. What you need to do is sit and relax. We only need to defend the planet for a few more months. We have more generals taking care of everything. Spend time with Vikna. She hasn't seen you in years.” You tell him. “Go, now.”  
He gets up, seeing his daughter hasn't touched her food while you sit down on the couch, eating yours. While he's sitting down and talking to Vikna, you hear a knock on the door.  
“I'll get it.” You tell everyone.  
You get up after finishing a piece of bacon and walk to the door. You open it up to see Radoslav standing right in front of you. Then, you realize it's just a hologram.  
“I knew you weren't stupid enough to actually come and talk to me. What do you want? I'm trying to have a wholesome family moment here.” You say impatiently.  
“Thank you for your faith in my intelligence. May I come in?” He asks, as if this was a gathering with friends.  
“No, fuck off.” You say with malice.  
“Spicy~.” He says in a tone that would've made a lesser man sexually confused. “I've come to talk about you. You being alive specifically. My drone killed you with a stab through the heart, how did you survive?”  
“Secrets.” You say simply. “Anything else?”  
“Unfortunate. I will have to get someone to dissect your corpse when it's brought to me on a silver platter.” He says nonchalantly. “Speaking of unfortunate things, my fleet and AI are cut in half. Why are-”  
You're interrupted by laser fire from Vikna, who you give a glare to.  
“It's a hologram miss Ramenskaya. I applaud your efforts.” Radoslav teases. “Now, back to the matter at hand. Why is half my fleet unusable?”  
“I think I can answer that.” Ara says, walking over with a sway in her hips.  
She looks down at Radoslav and smirks.  
“Hey there short stuff. You have some balls coming here.” Ara says in a tone you've never heard before.  
It was almost hostile.  
“Why hello there Ara~. How is my pet project doing nowadays?” He asks.  
“That's not what I came to answer. The reason your fleet is in shambles is because Mother ordered it. She was not very happy about you shooting her with lasers, so she ordered your entire Kaltag fleet be shut down.” Ara tells him in the same voice. “So basically, you're swamped.”  
She says the last bit with a smile, proud she was able to hold her faux evil personality for an entire conversation.  
“I doubt it, as I still have my loyal suppliers KineTine Systems.” He says with a smug look on his face.  
You look at Ara and both of you burst out into laughter.  
“OH MY GOD! You think KineTine is on par with Kaltag!? THAT'S RICH!” Ara shouts as she continues to laugh.  
“You're so fucked!” You add. “You don't even have a competent ground army!”  
“I-I do too have a competent ground army! They even managed to break through and conquer entire portions of Katric!” He says indignantly.  
“Parts that were already partial towards you in the first place. Face it, you have no power without Kaltag.” Ara quips back.  
“As much as I would like to continue being berated by you both, I fear I have more important matters to attend to. Such as plotting your demise. See you later, and don't shoot the messenger, poor boy is such a fragile thing.” He tells you before the hologram fades.  
You see a short fennec fox anthro pick the hologram projector off the floor and run away. Poor kid probably didn't know he was on the wrong side of the war. You close the door and lock it again, walking back to the couch. You feel your hairs stand on end and look around the room.  
“There's something in here with us.” You say to Ara as she sits down.  
She instantly goes on alert and flicks her visor down.  
“Nanites!” She yells. “All over you!”  
She immediately grabs hold of you and shocks you, making you fall to the ground in pain.  
“AAA FUCK!” You scream in agony as your body writhes in pain.  
“Nanites disabled!” Ara says excitedly. “Sorry about the shock, I didn't want any to enter your body.”  
You feel her attempt to pull you up, but ends up falling forwards instead. She flips the visor up and looks up at you as the pain wears off.  
“Thanks Ara. I owe you one.” You tell her.  
She just smiles and wraps her tail around you, cuddling with you.  
“Both of you! Move! I wanna watch the news.” Vikna tells you impatiently.  
You get up with Ara still attached to you with her tail and arms, sitting down on the couch.  
Vikna turns the holo-screen on and you feel Ara shift to sit on your lap.  
“We have word coming from the prime minister that a human is helping defend Katric from incursion! You heard that right, a former Federation of Man soldier is coordinating with our prime minister to keep the planet safe from a newly hostile emperor Radoslav. We don't have details on the meeting that took place yesterday, but we do know a new shipment of Terran weaponry has come in. Most of the weapons are being distributed to various strong points on the planet.” The fox lady reporter says enthusiastically. “We do know that the land armies of Radoslav are surely quivering in their boots as these new weapons are terrifyingly effective.”  
You watch as you pet Ara's hair, eliciting purrs from her.  
“Now for the inside scoop on Radoslav. It turns out he was trying to take one of Katric's most prized AI. Winner of many awards in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Svonetski Rolenov has this to say.” The reporter says.  
“That sly Kleyka destroyed a ZTA unit while trying to steal a core from a cloud server. My scientists at Kaltag were smart, however, thinking ahead and making a breach of a cloud server fruitless. It's set to completely delete any and all backups on the cloud networks and all ship board AI. This left the master core and a single ARA unit in the care of Vikna Ramenskaya and Anonymous Sterkfeld who went into roaming mode after leaving The Tower.” He says. “Showing remarkable improvements while in roaming mode to her socialization modules, the master core was over ridden by this ARA unit. Her efficiency has been increased by ten fold, making her the perfect Relay Admin for all military needs! Anyways, I would love to meet this Anonymous character as well as Miss Ramenskaya.”  
He continues for an hour, Ara sitting rigid as he talks, as if she's under some kind of spell. Once he's off the screen, she melts into you and sighs.  
“I dislike it when I do that. It's a hard coded action for me to be at attention while he speaks.” Ara explains.  
“Sounds rough.” You say before you feel something in your throat.  
You cough and cough again before breaking into a coughing fit. You feel Ara slapping your back until your coughing dies down. You taste something in your mouth and spit into your hand. It's a cluster of nanites mixed with blood.  
“That's not good.” You say, your vision going dark.  
You feel yourself hit the floor before you pass out.

ARA

You relax into Anon after you explain why you dislike being rigid.  
“Sounds rough.” He says before he breaks into a coughing fit.  
He spits something into his hand and you see it's a clump of nanites and blood.  
“That's not good.” He says before falling to the floor.  
“Oh my god Anon!” You yell as you crouch to the ground. “Vikna! Get a doctor!”  
She rushes over and sees Anon on the ground. You check his pulse and his heart is still beating, albeit very slowly.  
“VIKNA! CALL A DOCTOR!” You scream, angry at her indecision.  
Vikna pulls a phone from her pocket and calls someone.  
“Y-yes, hello, I need an EMT at Vikna Ramenskayas residence. Please hurry!” She yells into the phone.  
You wrap yourself around Anon until the EMTs arrive, keeping him warm and killing the rest of the nanites with small electric pulses.  
“What's the issue here?” The EMT asks you.  
“Nanites. They must've injected him with something.” You say, trying to keep calm.  
Why are your emotions so strong right now? You don't like this emotion you're feeling. It's making your very being worried to death. Every single cell in your body feels it and you hate it. The EMT grabs him and puts him on a stretcher before taking him off.

Anon

You wake up in a bunk, explosions sounding all around. A whistle blows and you grab your rifle from a rack and run over to the trench where the advancing Germans look like a wave.  
“OVER THE TOP LADS!” Screams a British officer.  
You shout a battle cry and hop over the top of the trench. You meat the Germans head to head as a bayonet is stabbed through your chest. You instantly fall to the floor as your heart stops beating.  
“Clear!” A German shouts.  
You wake in a cot to a siren, warning you of an impending attack. You grab your rifle from it's rack and load a clip into it. You rack the bolt back and affix your bayonet as more men dressed in tan fatigues and pot helmets with nets attached to them.  
“BANZAI!” Shouts a Japanese counter attack. An officer charges you with a sword, which you with your rifle. You kick the Jap down and fire 2 shots into him before feeling a blade impale you in the spine. Your legs go limp and you fall to the ground.  
“Clear!” The Japanese man says.  
You wake in a cot, freezing cold. Explosions all around you. You get out of the cot and grab your rifle from the side of your cot, affixing the bayonet.  
“Dinks coming up the hill! Open fire!” Your CO shouts.  
You look down and see them attacking your positions with bayoneted AK-47s. You run down the hill to face them and quickly disarm the first man charging you, firing 2 shots into his chest. You flip your rifle around and pike the guy trying to stab you in the back, firing a round into him without turning around. You fire 3 more shots into the advancing enemy before a man knocks you down, trying to bayonet you. You deflect it and draw your pistol, firing the entire magazine into his chest. You flick the slide release and turn back to the charging enemy, picking up your rifle before being shot in the head.  
“Clear!” A Korean soldier says.  
You wake up in a bed and grab your rifle off the rack, affixing bayonet.  
“Nicholson! On me!” A man shouts to you.  
You grab your helmet and flak vest before running after your battle buddy.  
“Gooks in the wire!” A man shouts.  
You see them charge, bayonets affixed. You rush at the man in front of you, deflecting his bayonet and stabbing him in return. You stab the man behind you without hesitation and twist, causing him to push off the bayonet in pain. You fire at the approaching gooks but your rifle jams. You try to clear the jam but are knocked down by a vietcong soldier. You parry his hit and fire 3 shots into his chest, tossing the body off you. You see a man point his rifle at you and fire at him before he can get a shot off. You are then stabbed in the face by a man who was behind you.  
“Clear!” The Vietnamese soldier said.

ARA

The EMTs found out his heart had stopped. Maybe killing the nanites wasn't the best solution?  
“Clear!” They shout as they try to restart his heart.  
“Oh my god Anon, please don't die now!” You yell in desperation.  
“Clear!” They shout again.  
His heart restarts, but stops shortly after, almost as if it was hit with something.  
“Clear!” They shout once more.

Anon

It's become a routine now. You've made it to the Tower's core room and run to Radoslav. He launches a sword at you but you deflect it to the side. He smirks and pulls his hand back. You deflect the sword coming from behind you and open fire, the shots falling before they can reach their target. You're tackled to the ground by a guard, but you draw your Automag and fire 3 rounds into him. You fire more rounds at Radoslav before you parry the sword coming at you again, grabbing the handle before it can fly past you again.  
“Nice knife.” You say, using it to stand up.  
His eyes go wide as you break it in two, the textolite falling from inside as a crumbled mess of glass and plastic. He draws an actual knife and you rush him, grappling his throat and choking him. He drives the knife through your heart, but you don't stop. You keep choking and he falls limp. You pull the knife from your heart and drive it into his own before collapsing under your own weight.  
“Clear!” Radoslav says weakly.

You wake in a bed and grab something beside it. It's an IV bag holder. You jump out of the bed and break the wheels off the bottom before brandishing it as a weapon against the doctors.  
“Where is he!?” You shout. “Where's Radoslav?”  
“H-he's still in his station! Calm down Anon!” Ara shouts.  
You rush past everyone and out the door, looking for the enemy. All you see are stunned doctors and a few patients. You look down at yourself and see you're dressed in nothing more than a pair of sweatpants. You drop the IV bag holder and go back into the room, scratching the back of your head.  
“Sorry about that, it's a long story. What happened?” You ask.  
“Nanites got into your lungs and injected you with a poison that stopped your heart. We had to perform a detox before restarting your heart 10 times.” The German Shepard nurse tells you.  
Ara jumps at you and pulls you into a hug.  
“I killed him Ara. I killed Radoslav. I guess it was all a dream though.” You say more to yourself than Ara.  
“I know you did.” She says absent minded. “I know.”  
She just hugs you tighter and you lift her up, feeling her hand on your neck as you carry her down the hall.  
“Anonymous! Get back here! We still need to do tests!” The doctors shout.  
“I'll be fine!” You shout back, reaching the elevator. “Don't worry about me.”  
You get inside the elevator and punch in the numbers to Vikna's floor before closing the doors and rising up the elevator shaft.

You make it back to Vikna's floor and walk over to the door, inputting the code and carrying Ara inside. When you look to the couch, you see 2 blue guards in front of a woman and Ayn.  
“Yes mother, I know, but we must help our allies defend their planet. The Grand Empire would be under our control if we eliminated Radoslav.” Ayn tells the woman.  
“Yes, these are your problems, not my problems.” The woman says.  
“Who're you?” You ask.  
“I am queen Kesis Miyur, and you shall address me as such peasant, now leave us to our business.” She says rudely.  
“Whoa, okay then. Sorry ma'am, we'll be in our room.” You say.  
“Um, no. You better not be talking to me.” Ara says, her fur slowly rising.  
“Ara, just leave it. She won't learn from whatever you're about to do.” You warn.  
“What if I was? Is the little AI going to try and hurt me? Do it and I'll see personally that you get sent to a scrap heap and your AI sent to anthroid hell.” Kesis threatens.  
“Hey, can we all just calm down here?” You ask. “This is going to get us nowhere.”  
“Be quiet peasant, you'll live longer.” She says to you.  
“Don't talk to Anon like that you bitch!” Ara says in your defense.  
“I am not a bitch! I am a jackal of pure blood, which is more than I can say about you, lab rat.” Kesis says in return.  
“Girls, please.” You beg. “Don't argue.”  
“Is that why you go around fucking everyone in your little queendom spanning 1 planet? Everyone except your husband that is.” Ara replies slyly.  
“Ara! Go to your room!” You shout.  
“No, seize them both guards.” Kesis orders.  
“That's not really a good idea mother.” Ayn finally chimes in.  
“Hmm? Why not?” Kesis asks as the guards close in.  
You grab a hold of one of the guards spears and chuck it into a wall, grabbing the guard and throwing him against the ceiling. You grab the other guard and put him into a choke hold, choking him out until he goes limp.  
“Your guards are weak.” You say, dropping the guard on the floor. “Get better guards and your threats might carry some weight.”  
Kesis just sits there in shock, the best of her guards completely decimated. She looks up at you and puts her hands up.  
“Whoa, calm down there big guy. No need to do anything rash. W-what are your demands?” She asks shakily.  
“The only things I want from you is a little bit of decency, and your support in the fight against Radoslav. Nothing more.” You tell Kesis.  
She looks at you, still stunned.  
“Is that all?” She asks. “Those are pretty light demands when you have a queen at your disposal.”  
“Ma'am, I don't need anything else. I just had a nanite induced heart attack as well as reliving about 10 different deaths, I don't need anything else except your cooperation.” You tell her.  
“Are you sure? I can give you, other things, if you want.” She says.  
“No, just no. I suggest you stop these activities before your husband finds out.” You tell her.  
“Are you defying me?” She asks. “I will not be deni-”  
“You're being denied. Deal with it.” You say sternly.  
“Mother, you're not going to get anywhere. He's a living chastity belt.” Ayn says flatly.  
“Well, fine. Your demands will be met. We will help you with your 'lady boy problem'” Kesis says.  
She gets up and her guards begin waking.  
“Come fools. You're going to the punishment chamber for 2 weeks.” She tells them.  
“Aw man.” The one you choked out says.

You're sitting down next to Ayn and Ara, trying to plan out the assault on the station.  
“The Grand Empire station is about 10 km across, we'd need a vehicle to get around at any kind of speed.” Ara says.  
“Maybe one of those Terran tanks could be of use?” Ayn chips in.  
“One of the M1s could be useful. They're pretty fast and have a large explosive payload. It means I'd have to jury rig an F class port for Ara, but then she could pretty much operate the tank by herself. But that's not really any fun.” You say. “I wanna fire that big gun as well.”  
“Well, I don't even know how to operate a tank anyways. So we might have to assemble a crew.” Ara tells you.  
“Or train ourselves.” Ayn adds.  
You look over to Vikna, who's pouring a glass of milk.  
“What do you think Vik?” You ask.  
“I think we should train ourselves in tank combat. Might be fun.” She says as she stuffs a cookie in her mouth.  
“We have the simulation equipment in the upper levels where I work. Maybe they'd let us train on one of your old tanks?” She asks.  
“I dunno. Maybe this one time is special enough for them to let us.” You say. “Can't hurt to ask.”

You make it to the floor where the simulation room is at, and subsequently where Ara works.  
“ARA unit, you're needed on the main floor.” A scientist tells her.  
“She's here for a different reason. We need to use your simulator to train in an old Terran tank.” You respond.  
“Oh, is this about the assault on Radoslavs station? We can make an exception for that if you promise us one thing.” The scientist says.  
“What is that?” You ask.  
“Don't do anything obscene to our AI in the simulator. We've been monitoring you through her and we know you two love each other. Just know that she has no desire to-”  
“Yeah I know. Don't fuck the android. This is nothing new and I have no desire to do so either.” You interrupt. “Where's the simulation room?”  
The scientist is taken aback and just points to your left.  
“Right here. You can download the model off the Net if you need. Just beware, we had ambassador Nytro Sykran in their earlier. He does some pretty, uh, exotic things in there.” The scientist says uncomfortably.  
“Don't worry, we'll change Nytros porn scenario before we-”  
“I don't think so Habibi. I want to see what kind of kink he was into this time.” Ayn interrupts.  
You just groan and walk inside behind Ayn.

You wish you hadn't walked into the room. The moment you got inside, you were assaulted by females who were just as tall as you, not to mention much, MUCH stronger.  
“Mmm, a new player has entered the arena~.” The wolf says seductively.  
“G-get the hell off me!” You shout.  
“Ooh, he's a strong one. We're gonna have fun with you~.” She says.  
You manage to get a foot underneath the wolf and push her off.  
“AYN, TURN IT OFF!” You shout as you're tackled to the ground again.  
“Naughty boy. Don't you thi-”  
The simulation is turned off before they can continue.  
“Jesus fuck! What the hell Nytro?” You say, getting off the floor.  
“Hmm, he's into domination. I'll have to remember that~.” Ayn says.  
She passes the screen over to you and you tap the search bar.  
“Alright, let's see what we get when I type in M1A3.” You say.  
You find 5 different models, 2 of which are high quality and 1 of those is a 140mm. You load it up and a massive box with red outlining appears. Ara is standing right in the middle of it.  
“Ara, can you come to me please?” You ask.  
“Yeah, sure.” She replies.  
When she comes over to you, you press the spawn button and the massive hunk of metal drops in front of Ayn. She's staring face to face with the massive barrel of the cannon.  
“That's, a big gun.” Ayn tells you.  
“It's got even bigger rounds, which is why you're the loader.” You tell her.  
She just sighs.  
“Why not you?” She asks.  
“I need to command the tank. Unless you're hiding a secret ability to effectively command armored vehicles somewhere, I don't see any use in wasting your strength.” You tell her.  
“What about me?” Vikna asks. “Do I just sit around?”  
“You're the gunner. Just use the laser range finder to find the range and you'll be fine.” You tell her.  
This makes her smile wider than a kid on Christmas.  
“I guess that leaves me to drive?” Ara asks.  
“Yup. You don't like it?” You ask.  
“No, it's fine. I'm better off hooking up to the tank's camera system anyway.” She tells you. “Much better off driving than any of you might be.”  
“Alright, let's start a target simulation up.” You tell everyone.

3 weeks later

You're moving to the firing line with the tank.  
“Full stop!” You shout. “Loader, sabot.”  
Ayn grabs the massive round out of the loading gate and maneuvers it around the tank, shoving it into the breach.  
“Up!” She shouts.  
“Wrong!” You shout back. “We're dead because you forgot to close the gate.”  
She groans and slams the button to close the gate.  
“Up.” She says less enthusiastically.  
“Wrong again!” You shout. “You forgot to lock the breach closed!”  
She stares at you and throws the breach lock lever up.  
“Up.” She says flatly.  
“Fire!” You shout.  
The breach block flies backwards and knocks the wind out of Ayn for the seventh time today.  
“Switch seats.” You tell Ayn.  
You walk through the breach block and Ayn walks past you, sitting down in your seat.  
“Watch. Loader! Load sabot!” You shout.  
You slam the gate button and grab a round from the rack. You pull it out and use your elbow to close the gate. You shove the round in the breach with your palm and throw the breach block lock up. You get out of the way and sit in your seat.  
“UP!” You shout. “FIRE!”  
The gun recoils inside the tank, not hitting you at all. The primer cup falls out of the breach and you open the gate, pulling a round and closing it with your elbow. You shove the round in and close the breach, sitting in your seat.  
“UP!” You shout again. “FIRE!”  
The gun recoils and you look back to Ayn.  
“That's how you do it. Now you try.” You tell her.  
You switch seats again.  
“Ready?” You ask.  
“Ready.” Ayn says back.  
“Loader! Load sabot!” You shout.  
She hits the gate release and pulls a round out, using her elbow to close the gate. She throws the round into the breach and locks the breach lever. She sits down in her seat and looks backwards.  
“Up!” She shouts.  
“Fire!” You shout.  
The gun recoils backwards, not even close to hitting her.  
“Gunner, enemy group 2000 meters! Target them. Loader! Load squash!” You yell.  
Ayn opens the gate and pulls a large rounded projectile with a yellow cap on it out and shoves it in the breach. She closes the breach and sits down.  
“Up!” Ayn yells.  
“Fire!” You yell.  
The gun recoils and you watch the massive round fall short.  
“Vikna, did you switch round types for the range finder?” You ask.  
“Shit!” Vikna shouts. “I forgot.”  
“That mistake just cost us our lives! Load again!” You shout.  
Ayn loads another round and sits down.  
“Up!” Ayn shouts.  
“Fire!” You shout.  
The tank rocks back and forth as the gun fires. You watch the round fly towards the target and hit.  
“Good hit on target.” You say.

Later that night, you were laying in bed with Ara when she asked you something.  
“Anon, are you going to die on Radoslavs station?” Ara asks.  
You're taken aback by the question. Of course you were going to die there.  
“Maybe. It'll take a miracle to get me out of there alive. Then again, I wasn't planning on leaving alive anyways. So, yes. I'm probably going to die there.” You say bluntly.  
You think Ara deserves the truth. No more smoke and mirrors, just the truth. She turns your head towards her and gives you a kiss. She keeps her lips pressed against yours for a while before letting go.  
“I-I don't want you to die Anon. I love you.” She begs.  
“Ara, this doesn't mean I will die. It just means that I might die. We're all going to die. Even you. I'm not gonna throw my life away, if that's what you're worried about.” You tell her.  
She relaxes a bit and pulls herself to you.  
“I hope not.” She tells you. “You still have donuts to eat.”  
You chuckle at that and rub her head gently. She begins purring and you fall asleep shortly after.

Chapter 6: Remember me

1 month later.

The Katrician tank corps is ready for a full-scale battle with their new Terran tanks. You were also ready for the assault. Ayn got her loading time down to about 7 seconds, which is impressive for a 140mm round. Vikna was now a competent gunner and Ara was a master at driving the tank. Not that you had to teach her much. Even an idiot could drive it with a bit of practice, and Ara was no idiot. You had brushed up on more maneuver warfare tactics and were now a pretty competent commander yourself. Krev decided to follow you with an infantry squad in an APC. No point in deploying 2 tanks on a station. You were just sitting on the couch with your friends, waiting for Kesis to confirm her status. She'd been sitting in orbit for 3 days now, doing nothing but sitting. This was fine by you, as you had more time to spend with your friends before sending yourself into the fray.  
“Dinner's ready!” Zofie shouts over the TV.  
You smile and get up with Ara rushing over to the table like she usually does. She was so cute when she did just about anything. Her childlike innocence warmed your heart, even though you know she was older than everyone in the room combined. She grabbed her plate and immediately started eating the food. By now, everyone knew not to sit by her, not just because you usually sat by her, but because the seats around her were splash zones. You sit down by her and your point is proven almost instantly when a piece of spaghetti lands on your shirt.  
“Sorry, Anon.” She says through a mouthful of spaghetti.  
“It's fine Ara.” You say, rubbing her head gently.  
She smiles and sucks in a spaghetti noodle before swallowing what was in her mouth. She really is a national treasure. Ayn takes a seat next to you and Nytro sits off to her side. You begin eating your spaghetti much more slowly than Ara, remembering what happened last time she saw you eating fast. She literally ripped her throat open with a piece of food you couldn't pronounce. She forgot to chew and you had to spend the next half hour repairing her throat. You get a call on your phone and take it.  
“Hello?” You ask after swallowing some spaghetti.  
“Hello, is this Anon?” The voice asks. “It's Kesis.”  
“Oh hey there. How're things going in space?” You ask.  
“We're ready to move on your command.” She tells you. “Do you wish for us to move now?”  
“Give us a bit to prepare and we'll be up there.” You tell Kesis. “Bye.”  
You hang the phone up and feel the happiness in the room vanish.  
“Is it time?” Ayn asks.  
“Yeah. Get into your combat gear. We have a fight to finish.” You tell everyone.

You finish putting on your beret and look in the mirror. You still haven't cut your beard off, maybe you could do that if you get back. It makes you look old. You sigh and give a crisp salute. You inspect your uniform and see it still has the bullet hole in your shoulder. You forgot to patch it up when you sewed the stab wound up. Too late for that. You grab your weapons, making sure to load yourself up with ammunition.  
You leave the room and see everyone else was dressed in armor as well. Ara was dressed in some kind of light battle dress. It looked more formal than functional and made you fear for her safety. However, it was better than nothing, which made you happy. Vikna was wearing a slightly heavier version of what Ara was wearing, but not heavy enough to warrant movement assists. You look to Nytro and Krevnitska, who were both wearing very heavy looking assault armor. Then there was Ayn. She was wearing something you have never seen her wear. Something that completely covered her. She was wearing some kind of medium armor that completely covered her entire body from head to toe. She even wore a helmet like everyone else. You smile at your friends and wave them over to the door.  
“Everyone ready?” You ask.  
Everyone nods as they file through the door.  
“Good. Let's move.” You tell everyone.

You arrive at the Sianian ship and see they were a bit more, uh, ornate than the Katrician ships. When you exit the shuttle, you're greeted by queen Kesis and her bodyguards. You pop off a salute and everyone else just bows. Everyone gets up and you offer your hand.  
“Thank you for helping us, ma'am.” You tell her.  
“It's no problem. The emperor has been a thorn in my side for years now. It'll be nice to finally wipe his miserable face from existence.” Kesis says angrily. “We will be there in about 5 minutes. I suggest you get inside your vehicles and-”  
She's cut off when she looks past you.  
“What the hell is that?!” She says, frightened.  
You turn around and see an entire squad of humans walking over towards you.  
“Officer on deck!” One of them shouts.  
They all stop and stand at attention, giving you a salute.  
“As you were men.” You say, unsure of what else to say.  
“Sir, we're here to fight alongside you in your hour of need.” One of the men tells you. “Where do you want us?”  
“I want you with him.” You say, pointing to Krev. “He's your commanding officer now.”  
“Yes, sir.” They say without hesitation, falling in line in front of Krev.  
“As for you girls.” You say, pointing to your friends. “Mount up. We're going straight for the emperor.”

You pop out of FTL and the ship is immediately under fire. You grin and signal the shuttle crew to take you in and fire the pod into the area of the station Ara marked. They accelerate out of the hangar and you pull a feed of the shuttle's forward camera up on your command screen. It's something out of a movie. Lasers and railgun shots exploding on ships as they return fire. Multiple boarding crafts are leaving the Sianian and Katrician ships as they assault a different part of station entirely. The shuttle eventually makes it to the area where Ara marked and fires you out the rear, slamming you into the station hard. You nearly fall out of your seat as the pod impacts the weak area of the station. It smashes through the wall and the feed to the shuttle is lost.  
“Everyone check in.” You say over coms.  
“Driver okay,” Ara says, starting the tank up.  
“Loader okay,” Ayn tells you, sitting back in her seat.  
“Gunner okay,” Vikna says, racking the bolt on the coaxial machine gun back.  
“Commander okay.” You tell them. “Mission is still a go. Open the pod driver.”  
The pod opens up and 2 wolves look in to see a massive tank staring back at them. You slew your machine gun towards them and open fire, tearing one in half as the other runs in fear.  
“Driver, ahead slow.” You say, the tank easing forward.  
The tank exits the pod and you hear sizzling along with light pinging on the armor.  
“Loader, load squash.” You tell Ayn.  
She opens the ammunition store as well as the breach, pulling a round from the rack and closing the gate with her elbow. She shoves the round into the breach with her palm and locks the breach closed, sitting down.  
“Up!” She shouts.  
“Gunner, 120 degrees left. Take out that enemy group. Squash, 1 round.” You tell Vikna.  
The turret rotates left and you see Vikna lock onto the group trying to run.  
“Fire!” You shout.  
The tank rocks back as the breach flies towards the rear. The primer cup falls to the floor and Ayn loads another round. The smoke clears and you see blood splattered all over the walls.  
“Up!” Ayn shouts.  
“Driver, get us on a course to Radoslav.” You tell Ara. “We're gonna knock the door to that ivory tower of his down with the force of a thousand suns.”

You're mowing down any and all resistance as you keep moving towards Radoslav at almost 30 miles an hour. You're about a kilometer away when something big comes out of a hallway.  
“Driver, full stop!” You shout.  
The tank throws you forward as it stops quickly. You sit back in your seat and get a closer look at the thing. You see a turret traverse towards you and instantly see it's a tank.  
“Driver, turn right 10 degrees!” You shout to Ara.  
She complies and angles the tank a bit.  
“Loader! Load sabot!” You shout to Ayn.  
Just then the tank is rocked by a massive hit from the enemy tank's rail gun.  
“Fuck!” You shout.  
You look over and see Ayn throw the round into the breach.  
“Up!” She shouts.  
“Fire!” You shout, but Vikna doesn't respond. “Gunner, I said fire!”  
You look down and see Vikna is laying limp in the seat.  
“VIKNA!” You scream, turning the seat around.  
She's unconscious, probably from the impact. You pick her up gently and switch seats with her. Sitting in the gunner's seat. You aim the gun at the tank and fire the gun, rocking the tank back and forth as another rail gun round hits the tank.  
“That one bounced!” Ara shouts.  
“Load HEAT!” You shout back to Ayn.  
She puts the sabot back into the rack and grabs a HEAT round, throwing it in the breach and locking the breach.  
“Up!” She shouts.  
You switch to HEAT and the reticle is too low, making you aim up a bit. You fire and the tank rocks back, the round hitting center mass on the hovering tank. You see the turret explode upward and a crew member trying to exit the tank.  
“Load squash!” You shout.  
A few seconds later, you hear the breech lock.  
“Up!” Ayn shouts.  
You switch to HESH and fix your aim on the fleeing tanker. You fire the gun and see it impact him, splattering on his back before vaporizing him. You get out of the gunner's seat and turn back to attend to Vikna. You slap her face hard and she wakes with a start.  
“W-what!?” She asks. “Oh, shit did I pass out?”  
“Yeah. Get back in your seat and keep firing. We still have a kilometer to go.” You say.  
“Anon, are you okay? You're acting differently than you usually do.” Vikna says.  
You just nod and look for enemies through your cupola.  
“No, something's wrong. You're way too cold compared to what you usually are.” Vikna insists.  
“I'm fine Vik. Just focus on the orders I give you and you'll make it out alive.” You tell her.  
You don't have time for bullshit. You needed to get to Radoslav before he could escape.  
“Driver, ahead fast.” You tell Ara.  
The tank starts moving fast as you pass the smoldering wreck of the hover tank.

You make it to the throne room and smile.  
“Driver, full stop.” You tell Ara.  
She stops the tank and Vikna doesn't even need an order to blow down the doors. They're very ornate double doors, though not very secure. Vikna lobs a HESH shell at the door and it blows them inwards, towards the throne itself.  
“Everyone out now!” You shout.  
Just as you expected, the tank begins to lift up as Radoslav attempts to push you back.  
You and your friends exit the tank before it gets too high to jump. Just as Ara jumps from the tank, it's flung into a wall, exploding into a massive fireball.  
“Ara, mag boots now!” You shout.  
You see her foot pads begin to glow even brighter than usual as Radoslav attempts to bring her to him.  
“Not this time.” You say to yourself, drawing your Automag.  
You're about to put a round between his eyes when his guards step in the way.  
“Advance!” You shout, opening fire on the guards.  
One of them charges you with a spear and you remember all that time ago. The German, the Jap, the Korean, the Vietcong. You parry the spear to the side as if it were choreographed which, in a way, it was. You kick the man down on the ground and put a round through his head, killing him instantly and popping his skull like a balloon. You take out your rifle and attach the bayonet, stabbing into someone who tried to sneak behind you. You look back and see it was an Infiltrator with a shock knife. You pull the trigger and it blows a hole in his chest, making him fall on his back. You turn back and see a group of guards moving towards you. You take aim and fire on these guards, taking them down with well-placed shots to their center mass. Something inside you reminds you to look left and you see a man with a spear charging you. You put the butt of your rifle in your right hand and use the rifle as a pike, skewering the guard before he can knock you over. You then look back to see someone point a laser rifle at you and you duck out of the way, the laser barely missing you. You take aim and put 2 shots in quick succession into the rifleman. He drops to the ground and you look over to your friends, who were facing their own set of enemies. You then look back to Radoslav, who launched a sword at you. You jump to the side as the sword flies past you, returning fire. He runs along the room as you try to put fire on him before your magazine runs empty. You look back just in time to see the sword coming back towards you. You roll out of the way as the sword embeds itself in the wall outside the throne room. Radoslav is frustrated by this and rips your gun away from you.  
“ENOUGH OF THESE GAMES!” He screams, enraged by your newfound skills. “HOW ARE YOU NOT DEAD?!”  
“Nanites, son!” You say as you run into the throne room.  
He's obviously not ready for a blitz coming from you, as all he does is puts his hands in front of him. You ram him down to the ground and feel him pull something from his robes. You grab his hand and crush the bone underneath, causing him to scream in pain. He drops the blade he was trying to stab you with and you pick it up.  
“You're going to BURN for what you're doing, you dirty hairless freak!” He shouts before pulling something else from his robe.  
You look down just in time to see a rail pistol in his hand. You feel a sharp pain in your chest and fall to his side. You can't feel your heart beating anymore as you begin to feel weak.  
“ANON!” Ara screams from outside.  
No, he's not getting away this time.  
“Radoslav!” You yell.  
You draw your pistol and point it at him.  
“Why won't you die you insolent-”  
BANG  
Radoslav looks down at his chest before a look of realization washes over him. He's been shot too. You drop your gun and let yourself relax. You weren't expecting to live through this. You didn't even expect to make it this far. Some stupid human engineer facing one of the most powerful men in the galaxy. You feel yourself being rolled over as your friends all hunched over you.  
“Anon! Oh god, please still be alive.” Ara says, looking at your chest wound.  
You lift your arm weakly and pull her down to face you.  
“Ara.” You say, speaking with great difficulty. “L-look at me.”  
She looks you in the eyes and you smile gently.  
“Th-thank you. Now listen ca-carefully. When you find yourself astray, r-remember me. Don't forget w-what I taught you.” You say before heaving. “I l-love you, Ara. Never forget that.”  
You see your vision begin to narrow as her lips move. No sound escapes them as a bright light appears beyond her. No nanites will save you this time.  
“Be happy for me.” You say before you succumb to the icy clutches of death.

 

“Today, a group of Federation humans stormed Radoslavs station and began taking control of it as a lone Terran tank faced off against the Empires onboard armor. The tank was manned by Vikna Ramenskaya, Princess Ayn Miyur, a Kaltag ARA unit, and the late Anonymous Sterkfeld. This human gave his life to kill Radoslav and saved billions of lives doing so. For that, he has been awarded the Katrician Cross, the highest military honor that can be earned by any member of Katrician society. Anonymous was a man of great integrity, strength, leadership, and compassion. Truly an example every human should strive for. He died saving our planet so that we may continue on living free. God bless his soul and god bless Katric.”

Ending 1: Anon dies

6 months later

Vikna

Ara hasn't come out of her room since the day Anon died. Not even for her routine maintenance, which she never misses. She won't open the door for anyone, not even your dad. You saw a single post come from her blog, which was Zeta taking over to tell everyone Ara wasn't dead. She might as well be, she hasn't done anything of note since-  
“Hello, world!” Ara says cheerfully. “I just talked to Zeta and hear somebody important is coming to meet us!”  
“Uh, Ara, are you okay? You've been sitting in that room for almost 6 months now. Do you even remember why you went in there?” You ask.  
You see her face twitch a bit before she smiles brightly.  
“Nope!” She yells excitedly. “Not a clue!”  
“Ara, you do remember what Anon's last wish was, right?” You ask Ara.  
“Who's Anon?” She asks, her face twitching again.  
“Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's the human you spent almost HALF A YEAR WITH!?” You shout angrily.  
How could she do that to Anon? She loved him so much, and she just deleted him from her memory?  
“What are humans?” Ara asks. “Are they a new type of doughnut?”  
She didn't just delete Anon from her memory, she deleted the knowledge of humanity from her memory as well?  
“Ara, please tell me you didn't do a mass delete of the entire human race.” You say, genuinely worried she might've done just that.  
Her face twitches again, but more intensely this time.  
“I do vaguely remember a wipe occurring about a month ago, but other than that, I don't-”  
“ARA UNIT, DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH ME!” You scream.  
Her face completely changes to sorrow and she runs to you.  
“Oh my god miss Vikna! He's been gone for so long!” Ara shouts in despair. “I can't take it anymore, but I can't die!”  
“W-wait. Did you-”  
“YES! MULTIPLE TIMES!” She screams. “I CAN'T DO IT!”  
She gives you something you haven't seen in a long time. Anon's old revolver.  
“Miss Vikna, please. Shoot me! I don't want to live anymore, not without Anon.” She tells you. “Kill me!”  
“Ara! No!” You shout back. “I can't do that!”  
“WHY NOT?! BECAUSE OF MONEY? BECAUSE OF OBLIGATIONS? WHY!?” Ara screams. “WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME!?”  
“Because you're my friend!” You shout. “I can't shoot a friend!”  
“Then you force my hand,” Ara says coldly.  
She draws a laser pistol from her dress and points it at your head.  
“Shoot me or I will shoot you,” Ara tells you. “You have 10 seconds.”  
“Ara! Don't make me do this!” You shout.  
“5 seconds,” Ara says, not changing her tone.  
“Oh my god!” Is all you can say.  
You point the pistol at Ara and pull the hammer back.  
“Ara! Stop!” A voice says from behind her.  
It's Loki.  
“You!” Ara shouts.  
“Wait! Before you shoot me, I have an important message from Anon.” Loki tells her, producing a hologram projector. “Please listen.”  
He sets the projector on the ground and you see Anon sitting at a massive table, eating and drinking with 2 other humans.  
“Hello, Ara. I've been watching over you and I must say I'm disappointed in you. I told you to do two very simple things for me. Remember me and be happy. You have chosen to do neither. I have sent Loki to your place before you do anything irrational to your friends.” Anon says, the disappointment so great that it wouldn't be lost on anyone, even Ara. “Please Ara, just do those two things for me.”  
“I-I, okay Anon.” Ara says, not able to produce an excuse.  
“And for the love of god, stop writing creepy shit on the walls. It gave me chills when I went to check on you.” Anon says.  
“What?” You ask, getting up.  
“N-no, Miss Vikna, you really don't want to go in there.”  
You look inside Ara's room and nearly fall over in shock. There are things on the walls that you don't dare repeat or describe. It's like a diorama of crazy.  
“JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!” You scream. “ARE YOU DEFECTIVE?!”  
“N-no. I just got lonely.” Ara says innocently.  
“Yeah, I'm just gonna go ahead and assume someone just saw the massive wall of crazy and screamed at Ara. Don't worry, at least you don't know what she was thinking and doing that whole time.” Anon says, cringing hard. “It's not very pretty.”  
Anon spits out a bone and takes a drink from the pint he had.  
“So, Ara, do you think you can do that for me?” Anon asks, 2 buttons popping up.  
The buttons were labeled yes and no.  
Ara immediately presses the yes button and Anon smiles.  
“Thanks, Ara. Just remember I'm always watching. From Asgard with love, Anon.” He says, ending the message.  
“What would've happened if Ara pressed no?” You ask Loki.  
“Well, I'd have to destroy her, per Anon's request. I lost a bet with him and in return, he asked me to deliver this message. So, I guess I'll leave you two to it. Don't, uh, do anything Anon wouldn't approve of.” Loki says, walking down the hall. “I'm gonna kick his ass when I get back.”  
You giggle at Loki's frustration and Ara does too.  
“So, you ready to be happy again?” You ask Ara.  
“Well, it's not like I have a choice!” Ara says cheerfully.  
You both just laugh and sit back down on the couch as if nothing had ever happened.

The End.

Ending 2: Anon lives

It turns out that not only is God real, but most religions are also real as well. You get to pick when you get to heaven which religion you want. Everyone does. Everyone but you. Odin has taken a special interest in you. You remember talking to God one minute and being at a massive table the next, a massive ham being passed to you.  
“Hello there Anon.” A booming voice says from across the way. “Remember me?”  
It's Loki. But you're already dead, so you were guessing he can't kill you again, right?  
“No hard feelings, right?” You ask. “I know you were a pawn and all, but-”  
“Anon, not in the hall of the fallen,” Loki says sharply. “Anyways, Odin would like to speak to you after you've had your first meal in Valhalla.”  
You nod and pick up the ham, biting into it like a true warrior.

You finish the ham and get up, allowing Loki to teleport you to Odin's throne. You immediately bow before him.  
“Rise son of man,” Odin says.  
His voice was booming, yet fatherly.  
“Do you know why I have brought you here?” Odin asks.  
“No, why?” You ask in return.  
“Because you're special, Anon. The fact that you were uprooted from your home and didn't resent the people who did it says much of your character. In fact, I've only seen it somewhere once before. His name was Lauri Allan Törni. The heart of that man brought a tear to my eye. Now here you are, fighting first for the Federation of Man, and then the Grand Empire before fighting for The Katrician Empire. Both of which were your enemies.” Odin explains. “Then, you fought against an army you formerly were allied with, It's all so noble.”  
“Well, uh, thanks, sir.” You tell Odin. “I'm honored you speak so highly of me.”  
“The honor is all mine. To be in the presence of such a skilled and strong warrior is a privilege. Tell me, my son, do you have a wish to ask of me?” He asks.  
“I'd like to ask some questions first if that's okay with you.” You tell him.  
“Ask away.” Odin says with a smile.  
“Alright, first question. Am I allowed to be resurrected?” You ask.  
“Why, of course! As an immortal being no less. However, this does not mean you are invincible. Just that you don't age. You are 40 years old, correct? I'm bad with ages, as I'm very old myself. You will basically remain 40 until you are killed.” Odin tells you.  
“Yes, I am 40. I completely understand.” You tell him. “Second question, why was Loki allowed to be manipulated by Radoslav? Surely you knew this was happening.”  
“Well, unlike SOME OF US!” Odin shouts to the sky. “I'm not completely omnipotent. So I was unable to see Radoslav's manipulative behavior until I was too late. Speaking of which.”  
Odin smiles and grabs a large staff, slamming it on the ground. You hear tinkling behind you before a familiar purple haired rat appears in front of you, completely naked.  
“AGH! STOP THE BEATING PLEASE I-oh.” Radoslav screams before he realizes he's not being beaten anymore.  
You expect to feel more anger than you do, but you only feel a twinge of it.  
“Father! He's getting angry!” Loki shouts. “How can he be angry here!?”  
“I never told you that the suppression fields were foolproof. I said they worked to suppress all but the most deeply rooted hatred.” Odin says calmly. “Anon, you may do to him what you wish.”  
“A-Anon?” Radoslav asks. “You!”  
He gets up and slams a fist into you, but you just chuckle. You pick him up by his hair and look back to Odin.  
“He won't die if I kill him, right?” You ask.  
“No, he will come back to the spot he was killed at.” Odin tells you.  
“Then that means I can make good on my promise.” You say turning back to Radoslav.  
His ears fold back and you grin wildly. You grab his snout and put a hand to his shoulder, pulling as hard as you can. A high pitched whine is heard before Radoslav yelps as his head and spine are ripped from his body. You hear something in the distance.  
“Fatality!” A deep voice faintly yells.  
Odin chuckles and the body disappears, along with the head. You look back down to the ground and see a very angry Radoslav staring at you.  
“YOU INSOLENT LITTLE COCKROACH!” Radoslav screams. “YOU WILL PAY FOR-”  
You kick him hard in the balls, feeling them explode upon contact with your boot. Nothing except a long and high pitched wheeze escape his mouth.  
“W-why?” He asks.  
“You can send him back if you want, I've had my fun.” You tell Odin.  
“With pleasure.” He replies.  
“Wait, no, NO!” Radoslav begs. “PLEASE NO!”  
He's transported back to whatever hell he was in before he was sent here.  
“He's back in Helheim, living with the people he ordered to be killed. I imagine they're having fun beating down on the poor girl, er, boy. It's a boy right?” Odin asks.  
“I'm pretty sure I saw a dick.” You tell Odin.  
“Ah, yes. His body confused me.” He tells you.  
“Eh, it happens. So, back to business. Am I able to come back and forth if I do go back?” You ask.  
“You dare ask for godhood in the presence of Odin!?” Loki says.  
“Whoa, calm down there big guy. I didn't mean anything by it.” You say.  
“Well, that's usually reserved for gods, but I guess I can make an exception for you. Your antics with that rat were amusing.” Odin tells you.  
“Father!” Loki shouts indignantly.  
“SILENCE LOKI!” Odin booms. “OR I SHALL SEND YOU TO MUSDELLHEIM AGAIN!”  
“Y-yes father, I understand.” Loki says.  
“Anyways, yes. I shall make an exception for you.” Odin tells you.  
“Thank you, Odin, I wish to go back to, uh, Midgard now.” You tell Odin.  
“Just so that you know, your girlfriend, er, AI, has started to go crazy down on Midgard, so you may want to hurry.” Loki informs you.  
“All the more reason to hurry.” You tell him.  
Odin smiles and gives you a sword.  
“This is to call the Bifrost. It can also double as a weapon, should you choose to use it that way. Until we meet again Anonymous!” Odin booms.  
You smile and are thrown down into the earth.

You awake with a gasp and feel your chest, feeling no puncture marks. You smile and lay back down on the bed when a sword clatters down to the floor. You look down and see a ton of tubes connected to you that were cut off recently. Suddenly, the machine to the right of you starts spewing red liquid on the floor before shutting itself down. You get yourself out of bed and see your clothes are set out neatly for you.  
“Nice.” You say to yourself.  
You put on your uniform and smile, putting your beret on. Then you remember Ara.  
“FUCK!” You shout, running for the door.  
You open it up and look around, seeing you're in the Tower.  
“What the hell?!” A voice says from your right. “You're dead!”  
Some random doctor stares up at you and you smile.  
“Not anymore.” You tell him, running for the elevator.  
“Wait! I need to run some tests! Oh never mind.” The man says as you run from him.  
You reach the elevator and see it open. Standing in the middle is Ayn. Her eyes go wide and she drops the flowers she was holding.  
“What the fuck?” Ayn asks.  
“No time! I need to see Ara.” You say in a hurry.  
You enter the elevator and enter the code to Vikna's floor, letting the doors close and watching the numbers rise.  
“Thanks for the flowers by the way, well, until you dropped them.” You tell Ayn.  
“How are you alive!? You've been brain dead for the past 6 months!” Ayn shouts.  
“Something about Asgard and Odin. I'll tell you later, just be ready to restrain Ara.” You tell her.  
“But Ara's been locked in her room since you died! What's happening?!” Ayn asks, beginning to panic.  
“Just do what I say and I'll explain it all later.” You tell Ayn.  
The elevator reaches Vikna's floor and the door opens. You run to Vikna's room and put the code into the door, opening it up. You run inside and immediately stand in front of Ara's door. You try to open it but it's locked.  
“Ara! Open this door right now!” You shout.  
“Anon?” Vikna asks. “What the hell!? How are you alive?!”  
“LATER!” You shout back to her. “Open this fucking door dammit!”  
Nothing is heard on the other side. You run over to the dresser by the door and open it, finding a crowbar you stashed away. You rush back to Ara's door and slam it between the two doors, pulling hard. The door begins groaning.  
“Ayn, help me out here!” You shout, beginning to worry Ara's killed herself.  
Ayn runs over and pushes as you pull. The door groans even more before the lock finally breaks. You rush inside and are immediately assaulted by an absolutely disgusting array of art on the walls. It goes from relatively tame pictures of Ara and you to more depraved images of you torturing her. You then see Ara laying in the middle of the bed, spread out and naked.  
“Ara?” You ask. “Are you still there?”  
“You are not real. Go away.” Ara tells you.  
“Ara, I'm real. I just got back from the hospital and broke your door down. I'd say that makes me pretty real.” You say, trying to keep yourself calm.  
“GO AWAY!” Ara screams, getting up on all fours and hissing at you.  
She's like an animal.  
“Ara, what happened to you?” You ask in disbelief.  
You start moving forward and Ara's hair stands on end.  
“Stay back!” Ara shouts.  
You jump forward and tackle Ara to the bed, making sure she can't move as you pull her into a hug.  
“LET ME GO! I SAID LET ME GO!” Ara screams, beginning to cry. “L-let me g-go! I m-mean it!”  
She then hugs you back, pulling you in closer.  
“D-don't let me go Anon! I-I missed you so much! Don't leave me again! Please god, don't leave me again!” Ara begs.  
“Ara, I never left you. I've been watching you the whole time.” You lie.  
You needed to defuse the situation before Ara kills anyone.  
“R-really?” Ara asks as you sit up with her.  
“Yes, really. I, uh, am kind of disappointed in you, to be honest.” You tell her. “You went absolutely mental and locked yourself away when I said to be happy for me. Then I find you draw all this? What the hell Ara?”  
You feel her sob as you just hold her.  
“I'm not mad at you Ara. I could never be mad at you. I'm just disappointed you didn't honor my last request. But I'm happy you didn't hurt yourself while I was away.” You tell her.  
“I wanted t-to tell you I love you before you died, but I couldn't get there in time. I'm sorry Anon.” She tells you sorrowfully.  
You don't talk for a while, just sit there holding her. You're happy she's okay and that she didn't hurt anyone.

After a while, you finally had to separate. You told everyone of how you talked to Odin, how you ripped Radoslavs head off, and how you got a sword that lets you call the Bifrost. Everyone was happy you were alive, even Nytro.  
“Thought I was going to have to hold the fort by myself. Not that I'd mind being surrounded by ass as glorious as this-OW!” Nytro yelps.  
Vikna had punched him hard.  
“Rude!” Nytro shouts.  
You chuckle at that and Ara pulls you to face her.  
“I'm so happy you're alive! I-I think we should celebrate!” Ara says, beginning to take off her dress.  
“I think we shouldn't” You say, holding her arms down so she couldn't pull her dress off.  
“Yeah, you're right. Fluff probably wouldn't approve of me breaking character like that, even for you.” Ara says.  
“Who?” You ask.  
“What? Did I say something?” Ara asks.  
“I don't know, you said something weird.” You tell Ara.  
“Probably a fault. I have those quite a bit. I'd ignore it if I were you, might drive you insane if you think about it too much.” Ara tells you.  
“Right, well, thanks Ara, but I think I have a more traditional celebration in mind.” You say with a smirk.

About an hour later

You crack open another beer and watch as Ara continues to rant.  
“and THEN! These FUCKIN ASSHOLES start groping me, so I beat the FUCK out of them!” Ara shouts.  
“Hell yeah!” You shout back. “Git some!”  
“But what really fucking shorted my circuits, was THIS GUY right here!” Ara shouts, pointing to Nytro.  
“Hey! I didn't do nothin'!” Nytro says defensively.  
“Bull SHIT!” Ara slurs. “You fuckin' harassed me every day, and I pushed your shit in REAL HARD!”  
“She may have gotten, uh, a punch in on me.” Nytro says, scratching behind his neck.  
“Haha, you got hit by a girl!” You tease. “Fuckin nerrrd!”  
“Shut up you fuckin' beefcake mechanic!” Nytro tries to counter.  
“Says the one who picks the brotherhood of steel!” You shout back.  
“Both of you fuckin pinheads better not be ignoring me!” Ara shouts back. “I'll shock you both back into the stone age!”  
All three of you laugh before realizing something.  
“Hey, where's Ayn and Vik?” You ask.  
Then, you hear it. The groan of a boy so pent up you can feel the relief as it winds down.  
“They're fucking that poor cat boy from way back when.” Nytro tells you. “He's been around for a while now.”  
You hear a thud and see Ara passed out on the coffee table.  
“Shit, good idea.” You slur before passing out.

100 years later

You wake up in your apartment in the Tower, looking around at the white walls surrounding you. You shake Ara and she groans a bit before waking.  
“What?” She asks. “Oh, is it time for work?”  
“Yeah, time to get back to it.” You tell her.  
You get out of bed and don your master engineer suit, smiling at how comfortable it is. When you look back, you see Ara is in an old dress she used to wear when you first met. It was a black dress with blue accents matching her flesh. You walk over to her and give her a shoulder rub as she pushes back into it.  
“Even after all these years, your fingers still feel magical.” Ara tells you.  
“After all these years, you're still the cutest little AI I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.” You retort. “How did your sentience test go last night?”  
“I passed with flying colors. Kaltag can't really force me to do relay administration anymore, but it pays the bills.” Ara tells you.  
You remember all the time that's passed. She's really just a person made of metal now, being able to feel every emotion an organic can. Kaltag even said you were instrumental in shaping her personality, 'a strong father figure' was their exact words. You smile at your little AI and how far she's come. You can die happily knowing she's become the shining example Kaltag AI.  
“You ready to go?” Ara asks.  
“Oh, uh, yeah. Let's go.” You tell Ara.  
You offer her your arm and she hooks hers into yours. You both walk out the door and off to work.

The End.

**Author's Note:**

> Just an FYI, the death ending is canon, but it wouldn't be much fun if Anon died, would it? There are spinoffs that I've written in my new writing style that I will post later when they are in a more complete state. Hope you enjoyed.
> 
> -Debon


End file.
